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The Girl with a Thousand Faces
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Expected 5 May 26Win a free print copy of this book!
27 days and 14:04:44
50 copies available
U.S. only
From the USA Today bestselling author of The Book Eaters comes The Girl with a Thousand Faces, a Gothic tale set in a historical Hong Kong that meshes ancient myths and local legends into a haunting story of ghosts, grief, and women who will not forgive.
When Mercy Chan washed up on the shores of Hong Kong with no family, no money, and no memories, she was thrust into the horrors of World War II. She only survived by hiding in Kowloon Walled City, an infamous, ghost-infested slum full of lost and traumatized civilians. Since the end of the war, she has rebuilt her life and found work with the local triad as a ghost-talker, dealing with the angry and bitter spirits who haunt this place. These days, the filthy gutters and cramped alleyways of Kowloon feel like home.
But the past she can’t remember won’t let her go. An unusually powerful ghost has infested Kowloon’s waterways, drowning innocents and threatening the district. Unnervingly, it claims to know Mercy―and her forgotten childhood. As Mercy is drawn into a deadly cat-and-mouse game with this malignant spirit, she begins to realize that the monster she fights within these walls may well be one of her own making.
33 years before, mere days ahead of the Japanese invasion, Sung Siu Yin and her mother flee Hong Kong, intending to hide out on her mother's ancestral island home. It’s beautiful, tranquil, and remote. . . but also inhabited by ghosts ever since the entire village drowned in a storm many years ago. Still, it’s better than living under occupation.
But as the war drags on and isolation sets in, Siu Yin is increasingly drawn into the island's grim past―a past that may still have a hold on the present. There is a darkness lurking beneath that idyllic ocean, and it has been waiting many years for someone to return.
"The Girl With a Thousand Faces confirms Sunyi Dean as one of the most interesting voices in genre fiction.”―Gareth Brown, USA Today bestselling author of The Book of Doors
When Mercy Chan washed up on the shores of Hong Kong with no family, no money, and no memories, she was thrust into the horrors of World War II. She only survived by hiding in Kowloon Walled City, an infamous, ghost-infested slum full of lost and traumatized civilians. Since the end of the war, she has rebuilt her life and found work with the local triad as a ghost-talker, dealing with the angry and bitter spirits who haunt this place. These days, the filthy gutters and cramped alleyways of Kowloon feel like home.
But the past she can’t remember won’t let her go. An unusually powerful ghost has infested Kowloon’s waterways, drowning innocents and threatening the district. Unnervingly, it claims to know Mercy―and her forgotten childhood. As Mercy is drawn into a deadly cat-and-mouse game with this malignant spirit, she begins to realize that the monster she fights within these walls may well be one of her own making.
33 years before, mere days ahead of the Japanese invasion, Sung Siu Yin and her mother flee Hong Kong, intending to hide out on her mother's ancestral island home. It’s beautiful, tranquil, and remote. . . but also inhabited by ghosts ever since the entire village drowned in a storm many years ago. Still, it’s better than living under occupation.
But as the war drags on and isolation sets in, Siu Yin is increasingly drawn into the island's grim past―a past that may still have a hold on the present. There is a darkness lurking beneath that idyllic ocean, and it has been waiting many years for someone to return.
"The Girl With a Thousand Faces confirms Sunyi Dean as one of the most interesting voices in genre fiction.”―Gareth Brown, USA Today bestselling author of The Book of Doors
320 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication May 5, 2026
5809 people want to read
About the author
Sunyi Dean
14 books1,729 followersFacebook || Instagram ||Threads || Bluesky ||
Sunyi Dean is a writer of speculative fiction. Originally born in Texas and raised in Hong Kong, she now resides in a Yorkshire cottage full of music and books.
Her most recent novel, THE GIRL WITH A THOUSAND FACES, was inspired by her upbringing: her old high school was once a mission house on the edge of the original Walled City, and her grandparents survived the Japanese occupation during WW2.
In her spare time, she likes buying whisky, collecting dumbbells, and dying in jiu-jitsu. She also founded the Hugo-nominated Publishing Rodeo Podcast with fellow Tor author, Scott Drakeford.
Sunyi Dean is a writer of speculative fiction. Originally born in Texas and raised in Hong Kong, she now resides in a Yorkshire cottage full of music and books.
Her most recent novel, THE GIRL WITH A THOUSAND FACES, was inspired by her upbringing: her old high school was once a mission house on the edge of the original Walled City, and her grandparents survived the Japanese occupation during WW2.
In her spare time, she likes buying whisky, collecting dumbbells, and dying in jiu-jitsu. She also founded the Hugo-nominated Publishing Rodeo Podcast with fellow Tor author, Scott Drakeford.
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October 11, 2025After much struggling over the past few years, including a lengthy process that involved redrafting many times from scratch, I've finally got a book that both myself and my editors are happy with. I'm genuinely so excited for this one, and I hope readers will enjoy it!
For the kind folks who are asking, I can't yet give a sequel to Book Eaters, sorry! I know what that book would be and have an outline written down somewhere, but I need to finish my current contract first :) the good news is that I’m close to completing that first contract.
QUICK WARNING: There is no romance in this novel, very sorry! I know romance arcs are super popular in fantasy atm, but for very valid Story Reasons, there is simply no scope for that in this book (and if you read it, you'll definitely understand why!) I thought I'd mention that as the lack of such elements can be a dealbreaker for some readers, which I do completely understand, and I'd hate for someone to read it and get disappointed. Plus romance is often a feature of gothic novels, so it is a natural assumption.
#####
AUTHOR’S NOTE (updated: 6 Sept 2025)
(as included in the back of this book)
Spelling conventions in this book
Chinese given names are commonly two-syllable combinations, prefaced by a family name, or surname. There are different ways to represent that two-syllable construction in English; sometimes those first names have a space between syllables, or a hyphen. Sometimes they are written together a single two-syllable construction.
I’ve been inconsistent across the book in how I represent those names; this is a deliberate choice. When possible, I combine syllables because I don’t want readers to interpret Daiyu as two separate names, for example. This is also how my own name is written; my mother chose to write “Sunyi” rather than “Sun Yi,” because she knew that in English the “yi” might be misconstrued as a middle name, when it is not.
However, for other names—for example, Kit Ling—I opted to add a space between syllables, in order to guide the pronunciation a little more. If written like “Kitling,” I think most Western readers would understandably rhyme that with “Kipling.” This is due to how different languages handle stressed and unstressed syllables.
In other cases, I sometimes made an aesthetic choice. I felt intuitively, for example, that “Lau Yik” looks straightforward when written with a space, whereas “Lauyik” might give English readers pause.
The topic of how to best present non-Anglo names can be really sticky, and I hope that I have not been insensitive in my methods. My goal is only to present the names as accessibly and accurate-sounding as possible, while still respecting the pinyin system and the language itself.
On the subject of English names in a Chinese setting
Hong Kong has a long and complex history with English-sounding first names. For many young people, choosing an English name—especially before going abroad—is something they spend time and effort on. Not all Chinese names translate easily to English, and also some folks just enjoy the fun of it.
When my mother moved from Hong Kong to Texas in the late 1980s, she picked the name Lisa for herself. To this day, even though she has now reverted to her original given name, there are still a few people who know her as Lisa. When I was much younger, I often used my middle name, Robin, while in America. Some of my Texan relatives continue to use “Robin” to this day, despite my requests to be addressed as Sunyi. In this book, Mei Chi opts to acquire the English name of Mercy.
I will also freely admit that giving a slightly different name is a useful tool for helping the reader to keep track of the varying timelines, which do get quite complicated in places. However, having known many people who move seamlessly between their English and Chinese names, I think she would fit right in.
On the subject of translated names
For the most part, character names are untranslated in the book, but not always. This inconsistency is something I wrestled with enormously; there’s a weirdness to having certain terms or names translated in a book which is set in a non-English environment, while others remain the same.
Ultimately, I decided that leaving names in their original form was truer to how Chinese people think about names. For example, my own name means God’s Child, but nobody who says my name is thinking of me as God’s Child. They think of me simply as Sunyi, even among Cantonese speakers. Despite the fact that most Chinese names have a directly translated meaning, the context shapes how people perceive/hear those names.
In a similar way, we might meet someone called Pierce Brosnan, and think of him only as the person called Pierce—and not as the action verb, “pierce.” Therefore, I felt that writing “Mei Chi” gave a better sense of how her name would be “heard” by Chinese speakers, rather than writing “Beautiful Pond,” fun though that would have been.
In Mei Chi/Mercy’s case specifically, I thought it was also useful to show the phonetic similarities between her English and Chinese names, which is a part of why she picks Mercy in the first place.
The two characters who buck this trend are Cobra Lily and Red Bird. This is because their situations are unique. Cobra Lily’s “real” legal name is a secret, known only to herself and the government officials she briefly speaks to; her “triad name” is a chosen identity, meant to represent her status as its leader, and to convey her power. The same is true for Red Bird. Her name is taken to represent her identity as a sex worker, and to protect her privacy from the men she encounters.
In both cases, the meanings of their names are more important than the sound of them. When other people speak of Cobra Lily, or Red Bird, they are hearing the words individually, because their names are more like titles. A similar example in English might be the famous 1980s wrestler Shirley Crabtree, who was known as “Big Daddy” in the ring.
On the subject of translated words
I mostly use English terms throughout because that’s the language this book is written in. However, some words actually convey better through context than they do through crude translated terms, e.g., dai pai dong or cha chaan teng. I could say “cafe” instead of cha chaan teng, but that has an association for me which is European in origin. Besides, modern Hong Kong has cafes, too, and they are often quite different from a cha chaan teng.
In short, I’ve tried to use common sense or artistic license for what feels appropriate, and to convey a sense of cultural flavor in things that I particularly love about Hong Kong without drowning English readers in unfamiliar terms.
A note on Cobra Lily, and the historical figure of “Mother Snake”
The character of Cobra Lily is entirely fictional, but she does draw from a real-life lady gangster named She Aizhen. Originally born into a wealthy Shanghainese family, Aizhen was fascinated by the criminal underworld at an early age, despite her privileged upbringing and expensive education. At fourteen, she fell pregnant with a gangster’s child. When he refused to support her, she threatened him with a knife until he agreed to marriage. When her second husband cheated on her, she stormed the house of his mistress, threatened the other woman with guns, and scratched the skin from her face.
She Aizhen’s life was marked by extraordinary violence and unusual contrasts. She was beautiful and intelligent, but also brutal and viciously cruel. She defied a thousand different gender barriers and social strictures, but also tortured and murdered wantonly, and even sided with the Japanese during World War II. Much like Cobra Lily, She Aizhen was a difficult person to categorize: a compelling force of nature, both monstrous and revolutionary.
A further note on Guanyin/Kwun Yam, and Ma Zu
Historically, Guanyin/Kwun Yam is a wholly separate entity from Ma Zu, and better known as a powerful and important goddess of mercy, rather than as a sea goddess. Guanyin originated from Hinduism, specifically the male bodhisattva known as Avalokitesvara. Buddhism derives much of its lore from Hinduism, including some of the deities.
As Buddhist/Hinduism spread and diverged across distances, Guanyin was sometimes portrayed as a gender-fluid deity, or more commonly as a woman in East Asia. As my mother put it, “Guanyin was born a man, but we know her now as a woman.”
The reasons for this are complex and fascinating, and draw in part from Guanyin’s ability to incarnate in different bodies and take different forms. I have attempted to capture some of that gender fluid history here, in how Guanyin/Kwun Yam is represented.
Meanwhile, Ma Zu’s origins differ enormously. Unlike Guanyin, who has always been divine, Ma Zu was born a human child with selective mutism (hence her name, Lin Moniang, which means ‘Silent Girl’). She had the ability to control storms and astrally project her spirit.
Over time, in certain locations, Ma Zu cults and Guanyin cults became enmeshed in their beliefs. Though Ma Zu is widely accepted as an elevated human, some cults believe that she was actually an incarnation of Guanyin in human form, which would go some way to explaining her devotion to Guanyin (Ma Zu’s goddess of choice), and her amazing supernatural gifts. This, combined with Guanyin’s ocean affinity in certain regions, led to a blending of those stories.
The historical literature leans heavily on them being separate figures with separate histories, but in this novel, I’ve adopted the interpretation that Ma Zu was an incarnation of Guanyin, hence the strange sea-cavern temple, and the carvings that depict interactions with jiaoren. (For context, Ma Zu famously threw herself into the ocean after the death of her father, and in some legends she encountered strange creatures beneath the waves.)
As always, there’s a balance to be struck between respect for beliefs, and the desire to weave those rich traditions into story form. I hope that what I have done will be of interest, rather than of offense, to those who worship both or either of these deities.
For the kind folks who are asking, I can't yet give a sequel to Book Eaters, sorry! I know what that book would be and have an outline written down somewhere, but I need to finish my current contract first :) the good news is that I’m close to completing that first contract.
QUICK WARNING: There is no romance in this novel, very sorry! I know romance arcs are super popular in fantasy atm, but for very valid Story Reasons, there is simply no scope for that in this book (and if you read it, you'll definitely understand why!) I thought I'd mention that as the lack of such elements can be a dealbreaker for some readers, which I do completely understand, and I'd hate for someone to read it and get disappointed. Plus romance is often a feature of gothic novels, so it is a natural assumption.
#####
AUTHOR’S NOTE (updated: 6 Sept 2025)
(as included in the back of this book)
Spelling conventions in this book
Chinese given names are commonly two-syllable combinations, prefaced by a family name, or surname. There are different ways to represent that two-syllable construction in English; sometimes those first names have a space between syllables, or a hyphen. Sometimes they are written together a single two-syllable construction.
I’ve been inconsistent across the book in how I represent those names; this is a deliberate choice. When possible, I combine syllables because I don’t want readers to interpret Daiyu as two separate names, for example. This is also how my own name is written; my mother chose to write “Sunyi” rather than “Sun Yi,” because she knew that in English the “yi” might be misconstrued as a middle name, when it is not.
However, for other names—for example, Kit Ling—I opted to add a space between syllables, in order to guide the pronunciation a little more. If written like “Kitling,” I think most Western readers would understandably rhyme that with “Kipling.” This is due to how different languages handle stressed and unstressed syllables.
In other cases, I sometimes made an aesthetic choice. I felt intuitively, for example, that “Lau Yik” looks straightforward when written with a space, whereas “Lauyik” might give English readers pause.
The topic of how to best present non-Anglo names can be really sticky, and I hope that I have not been insensitive in my methods. My goal is only to present the names as accessibly and accurate-sounding as possible, while still respecting the pinyin system and the language itself.
On the subject of English names in a Chinese setting
Hong Kong has a long and complex history with English-sounding first names. For many young people, choosing an English name—especially before going abroad—is something they spend time and effort on. Not all Chinese names translate easily to English, and also some folks just enjoy the fun of it.
When my mother moved from Hong Kong to Texas in the late 1980s, she picked the name Lisa for herself. To this day, even though she has now reverted to her original given name, there are still a few people who know her as Lisa. When I was much younger, I often used my middle name, Robin, while in America. Some of my Texan relatives continue to use “Robin” to this day, despite my requests to be addressed as Sunyi. In this book, Mei Chi opts to acquire the English name of Mercy.
I will also freely admit that giving a slightly different name is a useful tool for helping the reader to keep track of the varying timelines, which do get quite complicated in places. However, having known many people who move seamlessly between their English and Chinese names, I think she would fit right in.
On the subject of translated names
For the most part, character names are untranslated in the book, but not always. This inconsistency is something I wrestled with enormously; there’s a weirdness to having certain terms or names translated in a book which is set in a non-English environment, while others remain the same.
Ultimately, I decided that leaving names in their original form was truer to how Chinese people think about names. For example, my own name means God’s Child, but nobody who says my name is thinking of me as God’s Child. They think of me simply as Sunyi, even among Cantonese speakers. Despite the fact that most Chinese names have a directly translated meaning, the context shapes how people perceive/hear those names.
In a similar way, we might meet someone called Pierce Brosnan, and think of him only as the person called Pierce—and not as the action verb, “pierce.” Therefore, I felt that writing “Mei Chi” gave a better sense of how her name would be “heard” by Chinese speakers, rather than writing “Beautiful Pond,” fun though that would have been.
In Mei Chi/Mercy’s case specifically, I thought it was also useful to show the phonetic similarities between her English and Chinese names, which is a part of why she picks Mercy in the first place.
The two characters who buck this trend are Cobra Lily and Red Bird. This is because their situations are unique. Cobra Lily’s “real” legal name is a secret, known only to herself and the government officials she briefly speaks to; her “triad name” is a chosen identity, meant to represent her status as its leader, and to convey her power. The same is true for Red Bird. Her name is taken to represent her identity as a sex worker, and to protect her privacy from the men she encounters.
In both cases, the meanings of their names are more important than the sound of them. When other people speak of Cobra Lily, or Red Bird, they are hearing the words individually, because their names are more like titles. A similar example in English might be the famous 1980s wrestler Shirley Crabtree, who was known as “Big Daddy” in the ring.
On the subject of translated words
I mostly use English terms throughout because that’s the language this book is written in. However, some words actually convey better through context than they do through crude translated terms, e.g., dai pai dong or cha chaan teng. I could say “cafe” instead of cha chaan teng, but that has an association for me which is European in origin. Besides, modern Hong Kong has cafes, too, and they are often quite different from a cha chaan teng.
In short, I’ve tried to use common sense or artistic license for what feels appropriate, and to convey a sense of cultural flavor in things that I particularly love about Hong Kong without drowning English readers in unfamiliar terms.
A note on Cobra Lily, and the historical figure of “Mother Snake”
The character of Cobra Lily is entirely fictional, but she does draw from a real-life lady gangster named She Aizhen. Originally born into a wealthy Shanghainese family, Aizhen was fascinated by the criminal underworld at an early age, despite her privileged upbringing and expensive education. At fourteen, she fell pregnant with a gangster’s child. When he refused to support her, she threatened him with a knife until he agreed to marriage. When her second husband cheated on her, she stormed the house of his mistress, threatened the other woman with guns, and scratched the skin from her face.
She Aizhen’s life was marked by extraordinary violence and unusual contrasts. She was beautiful and intelligent, but also brutal and viciously cruel. She defied a thousand different gender barriers and social strictures, but also tortured and murdered wantonly, and even sided with the Japanese during World War II. Much like Cobra Lily, She Aizhen was a difficult person to categorize: a compelling force of nature, both monstrous and revolutionary.
A further note on Guanyin/Kwun Yam, and Ma Zu
Historically, Guanyin/Kwun Yam is a wholly separate entity from Ma Zu, and better known as a powerful and important goddess of mercy, rather than as a sea goddess. Guanyin originated from Hinduism, specifically the male bodhisattva known as Avalokitesvara. Buddhism derives much of its lore from Hinduism, including some of the deities.
As Buddhist/Hinduism spread and diverged across distances, Guanyin was sometimes portrayed as a gender-fluid deity, or more commonly as a woman in East Asia. As my mother put it, “Guanyin was born a man, but we know her now as a woman.”
The reasons for this are complex and fascinating, and draw in part from Guanyin’s ability to incarnate in different bodies and take different forms. I have attempted to capture some of that gender fluid history here, in how Guanyin/Kwun Yam is represented.
Meanwhile, Ma Zu’s origins differ enormously. Unlike Guanyin, who has always been divine, Ma Zu was born a human child with selective mutism (hence her name, Lin Moniang, which means ‘Silent Girl’). She had the ability to control storms and astrally project her spirit.
Over time, in certain locations, Ma Zu cults and Guanyin cults became enmeshed in their beliefs. Though Ma Zu is widely accepted as an elevated human, some cults believe that she was actually an incarnation of Guanyin in human form, which would go some way to explaining her devotion to Guanyin (Ma Zu’s goddess of choice), and her amazing supernatural gifts. This, combined with Guanyin’s ocean affinity in certain regions, led to a blending of those stories.
The historical literature leans heavily on them being separate figures with separate histories, but in this novel, I’ve adopted the interpretation that Ma Zu was an incarnation of Guanyin, hence the strange sea-cavern temple, and the carvings that depict interactions with jiaoren. (For context, Ma Zu famously threw herself into the ocean after the death of her father, and in some legends she encountered strange creatures beneath the waves.)
As always, there’s a balance to be struck between respect for beliefs, and the desire to weave those rich traditions into story form. I hope that what I have done will be of interest, rather than of offense, to those who worship both or either of these deities.
January 12, 2026
Generational trauma is perpetual but so are cats! (no I will not elaborate)
A ghost-talker confronts her missing past and the ghosts that linger in Sunyi Dean’s historical gothic feat, The Girl with a Thousand Faces. It feels like eons since I first discovered Sunyi Dean and drifting back into her work feels as languorous as a cat taking a long stretch in the sun—entirely out of sorts with the actual tone of Dean’s sophomore novel: a historical gothic fantasy all about ghosts and the cycles we perpetuate. The Girl with a Thousand Faces is as cutthroat as the ghosts left to steep in sadness, anger, and regret. At the helm, Mercy Chan, a fifty something ghost talker with a mysterious past facing down a ghostly killer intent on forcing her to confront her own forgotten ghosts. The Girl with a Thousand Faces makes the reader into a kind of specter, wandering Kowloon Walled City alongside Mercy as she unravels the past. Dragged down deep into waters ancient and strange, Sunyi Dean weaves a startling narrative that will have you questioning the true villains, be they paranormal or man made. Vindictive ghosts are one thing, but Dean’s true talent lies in her glimpse into the real horror beneath, the devastations of war, grief, and generational traumas—with everything a cost of ignoring that pain. Brave this strange ghostly saga and whatever you do don’t look down.
Read my review
thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy.
Bookstagram | Blog
A ghost-talker confronts her missing past and the ghosts that linger in Sunyi Dean’s historical gothic feat, The Girl with a Thousand Faces. It feels like eons since I first discovered Sunyi Dean and drifting back into her work feels as languorous as a cat taking a long stretch in the sun—entirely out of sorts with the actual tone of Dean’s sophomore novel: a historical gothic fantasy all about ghosts and the cycles we perpetuate. The Girl with a Thousand Faces is as cutthroat as the ghosts left to steep in sadness, anger, and regret. At the helm, Mercy Chan, a fifty something ghost talker with a mysterious past facing down a ghostly killer intent on forcing her to confront her own forgotten ghosts. The Girl with a Thousand Faces makes the reader into a kind of specter, wandering Kowloon Walled City alongside Mercy as she unravels the past. Dragged down deep into waters ancient and strange, Sunyi Dean weaves a startling narrative that will have you questioning the true villains, be they paranormal or man made. Vindictive ghosts are one thing, but Dean’s true talent lies in her glimpse into the real horror beneath, the devastations of war, grief, and generational traumas—with everything a cost of ignoring that pain. Brave this strange ghostly saga and whatever you do don’t look down.
Read my review
thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy.
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January 7, 2026
Book Riot’s Most Anticipated Books of 2026:
Sunyi Dean's debut novel, The Book Eaters, was a bloody good time and one of my favorite books of 2022, so I was wicked excited to learn she has a new book coming in 2026! It's a historical dark fantasy set in Hong Kong about a woman named Mercy Chan. Mercy arrived in Kowloon years earlier with no memory of who she is and has since made a life as a ghost talker for the triad. But then a murderous spirit starts drowning people, and catches Mercy's attention. The spirit claims to know her and her unremembered past. And if Mercy can't remember where she came from and how she ended up in Kowloon, it may drag her down into the depths for good. —Liberty Hardy
Sunyi Dean's debut novel, The Book Eaters, was a bloody good time and one of my favorite books of 2022, so I was wicked excited to learn she has a new book coming in 2026! It's a historical dark fantasy set in Hong Kong about a woman named Mercy Chan. Mercy arrived in Kowloon years earlier with no memory of who she is and has since made a life as a ghost talker for the triad. But then a murderous spirit starts drowning people, and catches Mercy's attention. The spirit claims to know her and her unremembered past. And if Mercy can't remember where she came from and how she ended up in Kowloon, it may drag her down into the depths for good. —Liberty Hardy
June 11, 2025
Sunyi kindly sent me an advanced copy to read and review…
‘Girl with a thousand faces’ is an alternative universe-ish ghost story set in and around Hong Kong during and after world war 2– a history that I’m sure many of us know little of. Parts of the story are quite gut-wrenching - sunyi does an excellent job of exploring the horror of war without detracting from the main story which follows a ghost hunting (ghost therapist?) woman named Mercy who remembers nothing of her past prior to washing up on a beach. I won’t give anything else away but this book would be a perfect ‘studio ghibli’ production, in my opinion.
Sometimes beautiful, sometimes horrific, ‘GWATF’ is a book of a thousand themes. I adored it!
‘Girl with a thousand faces’ is an alternative universe-ish ghost story set in and around Hong Kong during and after world war 2– a history that I’m sure many of us know little of. Parts of the story are quite gut-wrenching - sunyi does an excellent job of exploring the horror of war without detracting from the main story which follows a ghost hunting (ghost therapist?) woman named Mercy who remembers nothing of her past prior to washing up on a beach. I won’t give anything else away but this book would be a perfect ‘studio ghibli’ production, in my opinion.
Sometimes beautiful, sometimes horrific, ‘GWATF’ is a book of a thousand themes. I adored it!
September 25, 2025
I was so lucky to get this earc from Sunyi Dean and this book soon became one of my favourite ever! The girl with a thousand faces is a dark urban fantasy set in Hong Kong, mixing myths, local legends, angry spirits and powerful and women who don't want to forgive.
Mercy Chan is a triad "ghost talker". After losing the memory of her first twenty years, before WWII, after washing up on the shore of Hong Kong, she rebuilt her life in the Walled City in Kowloom, a famous ghost-infested slum, where she lives now. But a murderous ghost is set to destroy her city and exact vengeance from her, for something she did in the past. If only she could remember who she was.
The girl with a thousand faces is hauntingly beautiful, eerie, gorgeous and beautifully written. The author has the great ability of capture your attention right away and one of the best thing is how Sunyi Dean leads you to believe in someone and something, to cheer them on and then, suddendly, to change all the cards on the table and making you realize you actually didn't understand anything. Split in four parts, with different POVs, and during the Chino-Japanese war and 30 years later, the reader is thrown into the complex and painful story of Hong Kong, its ghosts and inhabitants, following the news, the massacres, the cruelties. I've learned so many things I didn't studied before and I was both glad to have my knowledge expanded and horrified by what I've learned.
This is a story of grief and revenge, resentment and horror, generational trauma and how traumatizing and damaging can be if there's not forgiveness. It's a story about familial bonds and, like in The book eaters, the complex and often painful relationship between a mother and a child. The reader follows two women and their stories, their mistakes and cruelties, fights and willingness to live and experience the world, to exact revenge. It's a story about angry ghosts and hurt girls. Girls who have been abandoned, hurt and betrayed and their anger and fury.
It's a story about war and blood, spirits and ghosts, pain and revenge, and it's written so poetically.
I loved every single thing. One of the best book I've ever read.
Mercy Chan is a triad "ghost talker". After losing the memory of her first twenty years, before WWII, after washing up on the shore of Hong Kong, she rebuilt her life in the Walled City in Kowloom, a famous ghost-infested slum, where she lives now. But a murderous ghost is set to destroy her city and exact vengeance from her, for something she did in the past. If only she could remember who she was.
The girl with a thousand faces is hauntingly beautiful, eerie, gorgeous and beautifully written. The author has the great ability of capture your attention right away and one of the best thing is how Sunyi Dean leads you to believe in someone and something, to cheer them on and then, suddendly, to change all the cards on the table and making you realize you actually didn't understand anything. Split in four parts, with different POVs, and during the Chino-Japanese war and 30 years later, the reader is thrown into the complex and painful story of Hong Kong, its ghosts and inhabitants, following the news, the massacres, the cruelties. I've learned so many things I didn't studied before and I was both glad to have my knowledge expanded and horrified by what I've learned.
This is a story of grief and revenge, resentment and horror, generational trauma and how traumatizing and damaging can be if there's not forgiveness. It's a story about familial bonds and, like in The book eaters, the complex and often painful relationship between a mother and a child. The reader follows two women and their stories, their mistakes and cruelties, fights and willingness to live and experience the world, to exact revenge. It's a story about angry ghosts and hurt girls. Girls who have been abandoned, hurt and betrayed and their anger and fury.
It's a story about war and blood, spirits and ghosts, pain and revenge, and it's written so poetically.
I loved every single thing. One of the best book I've ever read.
June 30, 2025
Thank You Sunyi Dean for the ARC of this book!!
This was an amazing ride! When you start reading it you think you know where the story is going and around 40-50% in, it makes a unexpected turn and it takes you in a completely different direction. It is intriguing and dark, filled with vengeful spirits that are both beautiful and terrifying (like Labubu dolls!!!🤣). Just like "The Book Eaters", this book has a way to portray and discuss grief, trauma and resentment that resonates so strongly with me, not to mention that Sunyi Dean's writing is really beautiful.
I felt a little confused about some parts of the story, particularly towards the end, but I understand that it is still a work in progress so some of that may change in the final version (which I will read, for sure). I think if you liked "Bat Eaters and Other Names for Cora Zheng" by Kylie Lee Baker you may like this book too. The underlying themes are different but the setting and the vibes are definitely there.
This was an amazing ride! When you start reading it you think you know where the story is going and around 40-50% in, it makes a unexpected turn and it takes you in a completely different direction. It is intriguing and dark, filled with vengeful spirits that are both beautiful and terrifying (like Labubu dolls!!!🤣). Just like "The Book Eaters", this book has a way to portray and discuss grief, trauma and resentment that resonates so strongly with me, not to mention that Sunyi Dean's writing is really beautiful.
I felt a little confused about some parts of the story, particularly towards the end, but I understand that it is still a work in progress so some of that may change in the final version (which I will read, for sure). I think if you liked "Bat Eaters and Other Names for Cora Zheng" by Kylie Lee Baker you may like this book too. The underlying themes are different but the setting and the vibes are definitely there.
Read
October 31, 2025A twisting supernatural mystery hardened by the haunts of war. With alluringly monstrous women and a deep dive into memory, Sunyi Dean digs vividly into the unstable nature of a mid-century Hong Kong caught between ghostly and colonial powers alike.
Want to read
October 6, 2025So excited to finally see another book from Sunyi.
January 5, 2026
A ghost story and a mystery and a historical fiction and an urban fantasy - Sunyi continues to work her genre-crossing magic. A story about women who become ghosts - about people who disappear; the relationships between families; the generational trauma caused both by war, and by individual injustices.
Mercy Chan, a ghost-talker employed by the triad, must solve the mystery of a particularly vengeful murder in order to save her Kowloon home from demolition. But as the trail she follows begins to touch her own forgotten past, Mercy realises not all her sins have been forgotten.
With a breathtaking dual narrative and prose both tender and sharp, Sunyi reveals layers of story with exquisite pace and timing. I was enthralled: she has absolutely honed her craft.
(This is the kind of book where - halfway through, and from thereon, you start frantically flipping back to the beginning to reread with fresh eyes and gather the breadcrumbs carefully laid. There are not many books where I long to underline and annotate and tab, but this is one of them. There are so many exquisite lines. There are so many truths both painful and beautiful.)
Retribution, reparation, rebirth - the kind of story that hit me particularly hard but, I think, will resonate with nearly everyone.
Mercy Chan, a ghost-talker employed by the triad, must solve the mystery of a particularly vengeful murder in order to save her Kowloon home from demolition. But as the trail she follows begins to touch her own forgotten past, Mercy realises not all her sins have been forgotten.
With a breathtaking dual narrative and prose both tender and sharp, Sunyi reveals layers of story with exquisite pace and timing. I was enthralled: she has absolutely honed her craft.
(This is the kind of book where - halfway through, and from thereon, you start frantically flipping back to the beginning to reread with fresh eyes and gather the breadcrumbs carefully laid. There are not many books where I long to underline and annotate and tab, but this is one of them. There are so many exquisite lines. There are so many truths both painful and beautiful.)
Retribution, reparation, rebirth - the kind of story that hit me particularly hard but, I think, will resonate with nearly everyone.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Every now and then a book comes along that is so unique, magnetic and darkly beautiful that it reignites your love of reading. Makes you want to stand up, hold it up in front of a crowd and slap the cover whilst loudly proclaiming “This! This is it. This is the good stuff and you need it!” The Girl with a Thousand Faces is that book.
Exploring a Second World War era gothic-feeling Hong Kong where ghosts seek retribution for injustices they suffered while alive, Kowloon walled city is chocked full of layer upon layer of refugees who sought shelter there during the Japanese invasions. Some of those refugees are living, but some are ghosts.
Mei Chi (Mercy) is a ghost talker who works for the triad gang who is the law in Kowloon. She has a knack for negotiating ghosts into the afterworld without exorcising them. But she has no memories of her own past.
And something sinister chews at her. Disturbing visions of drowning, choking vines and a jade-skinned water ghost called Sea Sister eat their way from Mercy’s nightmares into her waking hours. Always, she’s fighting an ancient rage that urges her to drown people. And now, there seems to be a powerful demon out for her blood. Nevermind that some bureaucrat is bent on demolishing Kowloon.
Siu Yin knows all about Mercy’s forgotten past and has suffered unfathomably because of it. She’s out for vengeance, and she’s willing to use everything in her considerable power to wipe away everything Mercy loves.
But, like the military fort turned lawless enclave that is Kowloon holds multitudes of layers, so does this story. It explores what happens when generational trauma transcends death, and when militaries weaponize the ghosts of their massacred dead to keep fighting the enemies who killed them. It digs deep into how two women are so misshapen by the trauma life deals them, they no longer recognize their shape. How the unremembering of atrocities sharpens the damage they’ve done. How vengeance can become a worn groove that is almost impossible to clamber out of. How alienation, imprisonment and aloneness can make forgiveness seem like an impossibility. And it does all of this with the dark poetic prose and emotional depth Sunyi Dean excels at.
This book is well worth the wait. Unique, multifaceted, hopeless and hopeful in turns. This is it, folks. This is the good stuff and you need it.
Exploring a Second World War era gothic-feeling Hong Kong where ghosts seek retribution for injustices they suffered while alive, Kowloon walled city is chocked full of layer upon layer of refugees who sought shelter there during the Japanese invasions. Some of those refugees are living, but some are ghosts.
Mei Chi (Mercy) is a ghost talker who works for the triad gang who is the law in Kowloon. She has a knack for negotiating ghosts into the afterworld without exorcising them. But she has no memories of her own past.
And something sinister chews at her. Disturbing visions of drowning, choking vines and a jade-skinned water ghost called Sea Sister eat their way from Mercy’s nightmares into her waking hours. Always, she’s fighting an ancient rage that urges her to drown people. And now, there seems to be a powerful demon out for her blood. Nevermind that some bureaucrat is bent on demolishing Kowloon.
Siu Yin knows all about Mercy’s forgotten past and has suffered unfathomably because of it. She’s out for vengeance, and she’s willing to use everything in her considerable power to wipe away everything Mercy loves.
But, like the military fort turned lawless enclave that is Kowloon holds multitudes of layers, so does this story. It explores what happens when generational trauma transcends death, and when militaries weaponize the ghosts of their massacred dead to keep fighting the enemies who killed them. It digs deep into how two women are so misshapen by the trauma life deals them, they no longer recognize their shape. How the unremembering of atrocities sharpens the damage they’ve done. How vengeance can become a worn groove that is almost impossible to clamber out of. How alienation, imprisonment and aloneness can make forgiveness seem like an impossibility. And it does all of this with the dark poetic prose and emotional depth Sunyi Dean excels at.
This book is well worth the wait. Unique, multifaceted, hopeless and hopeful in turns. This is it, folks. This is the good stuff and you need it.
Review of advance copy received from Author
"What you have, is a chance to live life anew. You do not have to take more skins, you do not have to exact revenge."
This was one of the most intriguing, well-written and astounding books I have ever read.
Applause to Dean for creating such a brilliant piece of art which follows Mercy through her tumultuous life as a ghost whisperer and the twists and turns within.
Whenever I thought I thought I had predicted the next turn of the book, I was never right but the outcome was even better than what I imagined.
I really loved the imagery Dean created through her vivid writing and dense descriptors. It really helps to set the scenes and create a world that you can get fully immersed in.
If you want an in-depth read about sorrow, ghosts, multiple twists and turns and/or are a lover of Asian literature, pick up this book. You will not regret it. This will be in my top reads for 2025/2026.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was one of the most intriguing, well-written and astounding books I have ever read.
Applause to Dean for creating such a brilliant piece of art which follows Mercy through her tumultuous life as a ghost whisperer and the twists and turns within.
Whenever I thought I thought I had predicted the next turn of the book, I was never right but the outcome was even better than what I imagined.
I really loved the imagery Dean created through her vivid writing and dense descriptors. It really helps to set the scenes and create a world that you can get fully immersed in.
If you want an in-depth read about sorrow, ghosts, multiple twists and turns and/or are a lover of Asian literature, pick up this book. You will not regret it. This will be in my top reads for 2025/2026.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Wow! What a phenomenal book to start 2026 with. I was amazed with the complexity of this book. It took me a longer time than I anticipated to finish bc I was blessed to have an ARC on my kindle and the font was messing with me. This was a beautiful story of ghosts, love, loss, anger, generational trauma, betrayals, and forgiveness. Mercy was a character that you instantly fell in love with. As her story unfolded, you earned new respect for her throughout her personal growth journey. It would have been a little easier to know the story was told from third person in the beginning and what her role was within the larger story. But I understand why Suyni chose to leave us in mystery until later in the book. With the end, I felt the righteous rage of our main characters and cried with their healing. As with the Book Eaters, The Girl with the Thousand Faces is one I will be talking about for years to come!
oh and bao? bao is a favorite character and a total bad ass kitten.
oh and bao? bao is a favorite character and a total bad ass kitten.
November 26, 2025
I had the pleasure of ARC reading this novel.
This has to be one of the most unique stories I've ever read. I loved the Asian culture and deep dive of history, mixed with the trauma of war, and the deep morally conflicting divide of revenge and redemption. Such a beautiful story with so much left to think about after finishing the final page. It truly redefines the concept of good and evil, right and wrong, justice and injustice and questioning the emotional turmoil of the characters and self. The writing is also unique, but done so smoothly I can't imagine the story being told in another way. Sunyi Dean is beyond talented. For any looking for a unique read that leaves you reeling, this is the book for you.
This has to be one of the most unique stories I've ever read. I loved the Asian culture and deep dive of history, mixed with the trauma of war, and the deep morally conflicting divide of revenge and redemption. Such a beautiful story with so much left to think about after finishing the final page. It truly redefines the concept of good and evil, right and wrong, justice and injustice and questioning the emotional turmoil of the characters and self. The writing is also unique, but done so smoothly I can't imagine the story being told in another way. Sunyi Dean is beyond talented. For any looking for a unique read that leaves you reeling, this is the book for you.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I love the way Sunyi Dean weaves a story. This one twists and turns and does several graceful flips in the chilly water, but at its core it’s just a damn good ghost story. There is so much being said about the nature of grief and betrayal and forgiveness; all wrapped up in the trappings of a good old fashioned haunting. The folklore and local history were beautifully weaved into the tale and some of the scary moments were genuinely bone chilling. I deeply enjoyed the journey of this book and look forward to others having the ability to enjoy it with me when it’s released in the new year. Many thanks to the author for sharing this digital advanced review copy with me!
August 5, 2025
With beautiful prose that haunts you well past its conclusion, The Girl with a Thousand Faces breathes new life into the Ghost Story. Dean captures the grief and trauma trapped within Kowloon Walled City and Hong Kong in the wake of WW2 without ever letting the personal wounds of familial afflictions escape you. You find yourself deeply moved by the flaws of Mercy and Siu Yin and the stories they shape for each other. This ghost story is not one you soon forget.
June 26, 2025
Sunyi was kind enough to send me an advanced copy and I must say, what a great read.
I loved The Book Eaters, and was looking forward to Sunyi's next offering - I was not disappointed.
This novel is beautully written and quite twisty - which I love. I also feel like I learned a few things about Chinese/ Hong Kong history which is a bonus.
Now i cant wait to read the next book.
I loved The Book Eaters, and was looking forward to Sunyi's next offering - I was not disappointed.
This novel is beautully written and quite twisty - which I love. I also feel like I learned a few things about Chinese/ Hong Kong history which is a bonus.
Now i cant wait to read the next book.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I love Sunyi Dean's voice and it shines in this novel. There is so much here, so many little things that I finished the story and wanted to pick it up and start from the beginning again. It was all the things I wanted in a story: character growth, overcoming self, well written relationships between characters, with a bit of history and myth.
Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy.
Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
A dark jewel of a book with eerie ghosts, haunted islands, and a grim setting that is lightened by a spectral feline, endearing friendships, and breathtaking writing. This is historical fantasy at its best!
Want to read
October 20, 2025A cover so good it has convinced me to read a fantasy book... I'm seated
Read
January 9, 2026please how can I get the full novel of it
September 12, 2025
Thanks so much to Sunyi Dean for an e-ARC - so excited to be one of the first to have read The Girl With A Thousand Faces.
Sunyi Dean sweeps readers into a Hong Kong WWII era ghost story that had me racing through the pages. Fantastic twists and turns - a compelling beautifully written novel, which is at turns creepy and heartrending, with an intriguing premise and complicated women characters. Highly recommended!
Sunyi Dean sweeps readers into a Hong Kong WWII era ghost story that had me racing through the pages. Fantastic twists and turns - a compelling beautifully written novel, which is at turns creepy and heartrending, with an intriguing premise and complicated women characters. Highly recommended!
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