Daughter of Calamity

By: Rosalie M. Lin

Narrated by: Si Chen

Genres collide in this dark and atmospheric reimagining of 1930s Shanghai for fans of Nghi Vo and S. A. Chakraborty.

Jingwen spends her nights as a showgirl at the Paramount, one of the most lavish clubs in Shanghai, competing ruthlessly to charm wealthy patrons. To cap off her shifts, she runs money for her grandmother, the exclusive surgeon to the most powerful gang in the city. A position her grandmother is pressuring her to inherit…

When a series of dancers are targeted—the attacker stealing their faces—Jingwen fears she could be next. And as the faces of the dancers start appearing on wealthy foreign socialites, she realizes Shanghai's glittering mirage of carefree luxury comes at a terrible price.

Fighting not just for her own safety but that of the other dancers—women who have simultaneously been her bitterest rivals and only friends—Jingwen has no choice but to delve into the city's underworld. In this treacherous realm of tangled alliances and ancient grudges, silver-armed gangsters haunt every alley, foreign playboys broker deals in exclusive back rooms, and the power of gods is wielded and traded like yuan. Jingwen will have to become something far stranger and more dangerous than her grandmother ever imagined if she hopes to survive the forces waiting to sell Shanghai's bones.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

Critic reviews

<p>"This debut is a genre blend of mystery and fantasy with some amazing world-building...Fans of fantasy will want to know Lin's name." - <i>Booklist</i>, Starred Review<br><br>"Lin successfully creates a world that is as much a character in the novel as the people who live in it…historical fantasy enthusiasts will be delighted by the worldbuilding." - <i>Library Journal<br></i><br>"The author’s love for Shanghai is clear from the early pages, and her descriptions of the Jazz Age and its effects on the city unfold in gorgeous, vivid detail." - <i>Kirkus </i><br><br>"Unfolding against a backdrop of shadowy club interiors, steam-filled alleys and overlooked temples, <i>Daughter of Calamity</i> is a novel that demands you turn the pages. I was utterly swept up in this tale of glittering cabaret girls and deadly gangsters, and Lin's incarnation of Shanghai—seductive, sprawling, full of malice—is a character in itself." - Kendare Blake, #1 <i>New York Times </i>Bestselling author of <i>Three Dark Crowns</i><br><br>"Lin’s Shanghai invites you in with an open hand or an offer to dance; here, every page is full of glamour, possibility, treachery. DAUGHTER OF CALAMITY will pull you in like a fever dream." - Grace D. Li, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>Portrait of a Thief</i><br><br>"Rosalie Lin crafts a world dripping with atmosphere and intrigue where gods and shamans wreak havoc in mist filled alleys while dance girls spin on clouds of gold and desire. Lin’s Shanghai bursts from the page, decadent, dangerous, and addictive. A thrilling debut.” - A. Y. Chao,<i> Sunday Times</i> bestselling author of <i>Shanghai Immortal<br><br></i>“DAUGHTER OF CALAMITY transported me to dazzling, blood-soaked Shanghai. I was swept away by the spectacle of vicious feuds between gangsters and gods, caught up in the heart-pounding twists and betrayals that kept me turning the pages. A dark and fantastical read.” - Judy I. Lin, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>A Magic Steeped in Poison<br></i><br>"Darkly atmospheric and richly layered, <i>Daughter of Calamity</i> fuses the luxury of 1930s Shanghai, its criminal underbelly, and the powers of the gods themselves. This is a story that seeps into your imagination and persists to the very last page." – Andrea G. Stewart, author of the Drowning Empire trilogy</p>

not for me

The writing was clumsy, the plot was thin, the character development was scant. It wasn't awful, but I didn't love it. The author would do well to learn a literary element other than "the simile," however there were some moments of beauty imagery. I think the idea is good. The magic system is cool and unique, and the overarching plot is tried and true, but the execution was lacking. A more dynamic protagonist or higher stakes, could have certainly helped.

The narrator was inarguably bad. Misspoken words, wrong pronunciations, no change in voices, no feeling at all. I fell asleep more than a few times.

Incredibly immersive

Listened to this with my daughter on a road trip and we loved it. Descriptions about Shanghai were excellent. Very subtle narration, but enjoyable.