Shanghai Immortal

A richly told romantic fantasy novel set in Jazz Age Shanghai

By: A. Y. Chao

Narrated by: Mei Mei MacLeod

Half vampire. Half fox-spirit. All trouble.

Pawned by her mother to the King of Hell as a child, Lady Jing is half-vampire, half-hulijing fox-spirit and all sasshole. As the King's ward, she has spent the past ninety years running errands, dodging the taunts of the spiteful hulijing courtiers, and trying to control her explosive temper - with varying levels of success.

So when Jing overhears the courtiers plotting to steal a priceless dragon pearl from the King, she seizes her chance to expose them, once and for all.

With the help of a gentle mortal tasked with setting up the Central Bank of Hell, Jing embarks on a wild chase for intel, first through Hell and then mortal Shanghai. But when her hijinks put the mortal in danger, she must decide which is more important: avenging her loss of face, or letting go of her half-empty approach to life for a chance to experience tenderness - and maybe even love.

This richly told adult fantasy debut teems with Chinese deities and demons cavorting in jazz age Shanghai.

'The must-read debut of 2023' Tasha Suri

'Bursting with personality' Xiran Jay Zhao

'Absolutely rooting for Lady Jing forever' Hannah Kaner

'A delightfully wild ride' Chelsea Abdullah

'A gritty, glittering tale' Saara El-Arifi

'A love letter to Chinese mythology' Tanvi Berwah

'Outstanding' T.L. Huchu

'Absolutely delightful' Judy I. Lin

(P) 2023 Hodder & Stoughton Limited©2023 A. Y. Chao

Critic reviews

A brilliant, vibrant world with a joyous, irreverent and chaotic cast of characters. Absolutely rooting for Lady Jing forever

Shanghai Immortal is the must-read debut of 2023, both intensely fun and heart wrenching. A wild ride through a Shanghai you've never seen before

A delightfully wild ride through a fantastical Shanghai filled with rich mythology, endearingly snarky characters, and laugh-aloud mischief. Entertaining from start to finish!

A thrilling adventure packed to the hilt with attitude, Shanghai Immortal will have you laughing, cheering, and screaming along with the inimitable Lady Jing. From the glittering settings and vivid characters to the thoughtful exploration of family and sacrifice, this is a story you won't soon forget

The most fun you'll ever have in hell! With her debut, Chao takes you on a high-octane, snark-filled adventure through the underworld, where the celestials are bloodthirsty and out for a good crime time. Lady Jing is a hot-headed triumph of a leading lady, with a wicked sense of humour that never fails to delight. If you're looking for your next fantasy obsession, look no further than Shanghai Immortal

Shanghai Immortal is a gritty, glittering tale of gods and monsters in a reimagining of 1930s China. The fearsome half-vampire half-deity Lady Jing swaps anger management lessons for a crash course in the mortal realm and you can't help but root for her and the chaos she leaves in her wake. Full of fury, passion, and beauty, this is a debut that will grip you in its fangs and make you bleed-all the while wanting more

A love letter to Chinese mythology, Shanghai Immortal is a compulsive read that will have you laughing and gasping at once. Lady Jing is delightfully irreverent and charming as she takes us on a wicked, exciting adventure through hell. With skillful worldbuilding and attentive prose, Chao has crafted the delectable fantasy feast you've been waiting for!

This outstanding debut grips you from the first page and doesn't let go. With characters that leap off the page and a compelling story filled with fantastical creatures, Chao has crafted something so utterly original and delightful I couldn't help but fall in love. Shanghai Immortal is a stellar start to what should be an incredible series

A wildly inventive and moving romp that goes through the mortal and immortal realms of China, with an endearing and tumultuous main character

Thrilling to the very last page, Shanghai Immortal is an immersive and exuberant journey through the dazzling realms of the wicked and the divine. And there's no better guide through worlds both mortal and immortal than Lady Jing-her razor-sharp wit and tongue is sure to captivate any reader, by force if necessary!

An absolutely delightful romp of a book. It's impossible not to be charmed by Lady Jing as she gets up to shenanigans in mortal and hell Shanghai. I was entranced from start to finish

Phenomenal fantasy

The start of a series tho can be enjoyed as a standalone. Transportive world-building forms a fascinating vibrant backdrop for our main heroine coming into her own power.

Intriguing concept, lackluster execution

All of the components of this story are things I enjoy. The concept was familiar yet inventive. Additionally, I typically love a snarky FMC. Somehow, the combination of the hybrid supernatural, Chinese mythology, dual-existence of cities, and court intrigue didn’t quite keep my attention as much as I’d hoped. The characters are fully fleshed out and the world-building is well done. The narration is well-suited to the story and provides the varied personalities as needed. However, the vocal and cadence choice for Mr. Lee felt out of sync (more so than the story demands, in my opinion) and left me feeling disconnected to him. Considering he’s the main love interest and co-character for our MC, it dampened my overall enjoyment of their rapport and budding connection.

It took me an unusually long time to make it through this audiobook, and had I no financial investment in it, likely would have quit reading. That being said, the resolution of the story and the reveal of true motivations, alliances, and unseen characters the last 10% of the novel make me inclined to give the sequel a try, despite my misgivings and ambivalence to the story throughout most of it. So, a mixed review is where I land, with an undecided feeling about the story overall, which I why I landed in the middle for my star rating.

Incredible storytelling!

This was such a delight to listen to. Amazing characters, rich world building, and wonderfully satisfying plot. I laughed out loud more times than I can count. I loved Lady Jing and her outrageously authentic personality. This is the kind of book you love so much you buy extra copies to give as gifts! The narration was pitch-perfect to boot.

Fantastic

A very awesome new world. I was hooked by page 4. the characters are unique, and the story is delightful. Loved it! It's one of the best reads this year. Its a "cozy" fantasy romance.

Excellent!

Wonderful main character, excellent world building, cool mythology, non-asshole love interest, supportive friends, manipulative family.