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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!
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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
15 people are currently reading
16733 people want to read
About the author
Sunyi Dean
14 books1,767 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
Review of advance copy received from Author
fierce, tender, twisty and compelling, this is a novel about hate and forgiveness, family and betrayal, and the endless hurt of war and anger.
I loved it.
I loved 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 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!
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.
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.
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.
March 2, 2026
Mercy Chan is a well known ghost talker within Hong Kong’s Walled City. Despite her fame and fortune (?), she cannot recall anything from her earlier years. All she knows is that she showed up on the shores of Hong Kong one day during WWII. Who exactly is Mercy Chan? Just because she can’t remember, doesn’t mean there’s nothing worth remembering. Someone out there will stop at nothing until she does.
It’s so hard to review this book without giving anything away. But im gonna try. This book is an amazing blend of fantasy, horror, and history. The timeline jumps between the 1940s and the 1970s, adding a good touch of cultural layers. It took me a little while to get into the rhythm of the book, but once I got in, I couldn’t get out.
The story is not black and white; there are so many layers, so much lore, history, pain, grief, and horror. The characters are perfectly flawed, selfish in their own ways, but also sympathetic to readers. Where do our choices land us? What is justice worth? And how far are you willing to go for that? Then I got to the twist and I was 😶 never judging anything prematurely ever again.
This book gave me a ton of throwback memories, and I can only imagine how long it took to research and write this (5 years per the author!). Highly recommend to fans of the genres, or if you like Asian lores, or cats.
It’s so hard to review this book without giving anything away. But im gonna try. This book is an amazing blend of fantasy, horror, and history. The timeline jumps between the 1940s and the 1970s, adding a good touch of cultural layers. It took me a little while to get into the rhythm of the book, but once I got in, I couldn’t get out.
The story is not black and white; there are so many layers, so much lore, history, pain, grief, and horror. The characters are perfectly flawed, selfish in their own ways, but also sympathetic to readers. Where do our choices land us? What is justice worth? And how far are you willing to go for that? Then I got to the twist and I was 😶 never judging anything prematurely ever again.
This book gave me a ton of throwback memories, and I can only imagine how long it took to research and write this (5 years per the author!). Highly recommend to fans of the genres, or if you like Asian lores, or cats.
March 2, 2026
This novel is quite the epic of storytelling, guiding you through different times, settings, and character POV's all the way through to the final pages. The writing is beautiful and lands with heavy impact each time a new layer of the story unfolds. A note of caution though: this story is long, and it is slow. If you're in the mood for a quick developing mystery with snappy pacing; bookmark this story and come back later. That said, if you want a story that takes it's time, moving at it's own pace and reveling in details and character development; this book is for you!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
loved this
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Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received a free digital ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
This book deceived me.
Look, this has pretty stellar ratings already, even though there aren't many of them. I still felt that, even at a small number, so many reviewers this early in the process (and this far away from publication) wouldn't lie, so I expected a good time.
I did not, in fact, have a good time. I had a horrible time. I had a BIG OL' crying fest in my living room.
This book started out with us meeting Mercy Chan, a fifty-something woman living in 1970s Hong Kong, specifically Kowloon Walled City.
I know NOTHING about Hong Kong. I know nothing of gang wars, nothing of triads, nothing of land rights, of British occupation, of walled cities, of ANYTHING this book features.
But I do know ghosts.
Ghost stories permeate history and culture. Every civilization has them. Just as every country has a form of noodle or a form of fried dough, they each have their own ghost stories. And I love it when those stories turn gruesome. This book features those, and they are glorious. Waiting women. Little ghost girls selling water. Animated flesh suits. A GIANT GHOST CAT.
The first part of this book deals with Mercy navigating Kowloon Walled City, which has become a refuge for ghosts in Hong Kong, where she works as a ghost talker for a triad. I have to admit, not having really remembered the plot summary after receiving my approved ARC request, that I was a bit put off at Mercy's age. "The Girl with a Thousand Faces" implies there being a girl, and Mercy is way to old to be considered a girl still. However, there were some flashbacks to Mercy (Mei Chi, originally) arriving in Kowloon Walled City during the last days of World War 2, and I imagined the title would come from those flashbacks.
And look, now! We're at the part where this book deceived me! And guess what, I'm not gonna tell you how!
This book takes POV shifts seriously, is all I'm gonna say.
So, instead of plot points, I will tell anyone who is unfortunate enough to read this review how I felt while reading the book. Bamboozled, at first. Confused. A little annoyed.
Astonished. Heartbroken. Angry. Confused.
(Slowly, realization sets in as the threads connect.)
Shocked.
Devastated.
(And then I dissolved into a puddle of tears on the floor. The End.)
It has been a long time since a book has affected me in this way. I could not have predicted the point going this way and that, and I did not see any of the twists coming (though I do have quite the bad track record with seeing twists coming. I have one braincell, and I share it with my cat most of the time.) And ultimately, it shattered something in my soul.
This is not the book I expected when I clicked "Request."
But, god, am I better for having read it.
This book deceived me.
Look, this has pretty stellar ratings already, even though there aren't many of them. I still felt that, even at a small number, so many reviewers this early in the process (and this far away from publication) wouldn't lie, so I expected a good time.
I did not, in fact, have a good time. I had a horrible time. I had a BIG OL' crying fest in my living room.
This book started out with us meeting Mercy Chan, a fifty-something woman living in 1970s Hong Kong, specifically Kowloon Walled City.
I know NOTHING about Hong Kong. I know nothing of gang wars, nothing of triads, nothing of land rights, of British occupation, of walled cities, of ANYTHING this book features.
But I do know ghosts.
Ghost stories permeate history and culture. Every civilization has them. Just as every country has a form of noodle or a form of fried dough, they each have their own ghost stories. And I love it when those stories turn gruesome. This book features those, and they are glorious. Waiting women. Little ghost girls selling water. Animated flesh suits. A GIANT GHOST CAT.
The first part of this book deals with Mercy navigating Kowloon Walled City, which has become a refuge for ghosts in Hong Kong, where she works as a ghost talker for a triad. I have to admit, not having really remembered the plot summary after receiving my approved ARC request, that I was a bit put off at Mercy's age. "The Girl with a Thousand Faces" implies there being a girl, and Mercy is way to old to be considered a girl still. However, there were some flashbacks to Mercy (Mei Chi, originally) arriving in Kowloon Walled City during the last days of World War 2, and I imagined the title would come from those flashbacks.
And look, now! We're at the part where this book deceived me! And guess what, I'm not gonna tell you how!
This book takes POV shifts seriously, is all I'm gonna say.
So, instead of plot points, I will tell anyone who is unfortunate enough to read this review how I felt while reading the book. Bamboozled, at first. Confused. A little annoyed.
Astonished. Heartbroken. Angry. Confused.
(Slowly, realization sets in as the threads connect.)
Shocked.
Devastated.
(And then I dissolved into a puddle of tears on the floor. The End.)
It has been a long time since a book has affected me in this way. I could not have predicted the point going this way and that, and I did not see any of the twists coming (though I do have quite the bad track record with seeing twists coming. I have one braincell, and I share it with my cat most of the time.) And ultimately, it shattered something in my soul.
This is not the book I expected when I clicked "Request."
But, god, am I better for having read it.
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 Publisher
*Thank you to the publisher and author for sending me an early copy to read!*
What a complex and worthwhile story. This one was a slow-burn read for me and took a lot longer than expected. I think that was because there was so much packed into this story and I needed to sit with things longer before I continued.
This is a horror and fantasy book that takes place in historical Hong Kong. We follow two timelines being the 1940s during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in WWII and the 1970s. We flip between these timelines in the different Parts of the book, however it was a little confusing at times as the main character we followed went by multiple names. I will take a moment to plug the author here that she wrote extensive pronunciation notes in the beginning of the book and then reasoning/context for her language choices in writing the book in the author’s note. There was a lot of intention and care brought to this subject in the book which really ramped up the historical and cultural context for me.
Our main character, Mercy, can talk with ghosts in order to exorcise them and send them to peace by helping them get their justice. The effects of the war left many, many ghosts that haunt the Walled City of Kowloon, but our main character is not afraid of the ghosts or their company. She actually works to seek them out to help them move on or just listen to their story, with a strange familiarity. Then a moment comes where a ghost is seeking Mercy and she starts to realize that even though she can’t remember her childhood, this ghost may be one of her own making.
This novel is full of exploration of loss, loneliness, vengeance, and love. The way Sunyi navigated this unique story was a little confusing to start but payed off in the end and truly connected everything together. This can get quite dark and gaunt but in a such hauntingly beautiful way I can help but stare.
I definitely recommend picking this one up. I feel this story will stay with me a long time, especially after feeling and seeing how much work and inspiration went into this book.
What a complex and worthwhile story. This one was a slow-burn read for me and took a lot longer than expected. I think that was because there was so much packed into this story and I needed to sit with things longer before I continued.
This is a horror and fantasy book that takes place in historical Hong Kong. We follow two timelines being the 1940s during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in WWII and the 1970s. We flip between these timelines in the different Parts of the book, however it was a little confusing at times as the main character we followed went by multiple names. I will take a moment to plug the author here that she wrote extensive pronunciation notes in the beginning of the book and then reasoning/context for her language choices in writing the book in the author’s note. There was a lot of intention and care brought to this subject in the book which really ramped up the historical and cultural context for me.
Our main character, Mercy, can talk with ghosts in order to exorcise them and send them to peace by helping them get their justice. The effects of the war left many, many ghosts that haunt the Walled City of Kowloon, but our main character is not afraid of the ghosts or their company. She actually works to seek them out to help them move on or just listen to their story, with a strange familiarity. Then a moment comes where a ghost is seeking Mercy and she starts to realize that even though she can’t remember her childhood, this ghost may be one of her own making.
This novel is full of exploration of loss, loneliness, vengeance, and love. The way Sunyi navigated this unique story was a little confusing to start but payed off in the end and truly connected everything together. This can get quite dark and gaunt but in a such hauntingly beautiful way I can help but stare.
I definitely recommend picking this one up. I feel this story will stay with me a long time, especially after feeling and seeing how much work and inspiration went into this book.
February 7, 2026
Thank you to Sunyi Dean for gifting me an ARC to read and review!
With no memory, money, or family, Mercy Chan rebuilds her life in Kowloon, a neglected slum in World War II Hong Kong. Possessing a talent for communicating with ghosts, Mercy works for the city’s triad, dealing with the disturbed and vengeful spirits. When a particularly malevolent ghost begins drowning innocent people, Mercy is thrown on a quest that may hold the key to uncovering her own mysterious past and understanding the legacy of trauma that plagues Hong Kong and its inhabitants. Thirty-three years before, Sung Siu Yin and her mother narrowly escapedthe Japanese invasion, seeking refuge on the abandoned island Siu Yin’s mother grew up on.
The novel is thoroughly researched and brings a great deal of credibility, both through the writing and the author’s own history. This is rarely heavy-handed, though there are moments when cultural tradition is explained too pointedly. If you’ve read Dean’s other work, you will recognize the distinct stylization of her writing — dialogue that leans stilted, revealing plot more than character, and a formality that can distance audiences. In the first part of the book I especially struggled to sync up with the novel’s rhythm. Pacing plays a role in this and the second section of the book, which follows Siu Yin, was drawn out too long. Though I understand wanting to reveal the monotony and isolation of island life, the payoff could’ve been more satisfying had we understood the life Siu Yin and her mother left behind in Hong Kong.
The Girl with a Thousand Faces is a sweeping multi-generational story that moves between time, space, and perspective. These elements are cleverly utilized but the use of second person point-of-view was the most pleasantly surprising. It greatly enriched the narrative framing, mirroring the elements of mythology, folklore, and oral tradition which the story is built upon. Blending philosophy around ghosts and death, generational trauma of war, and rooting it within the specificity of World War II Hong Kong, is the strength of The Girl with a Thousand Faces. It unflinchingly examines the cost of war through the legacy of trauma, isolation, suppressed rage, and narrative autonomy — what does justice look like after death? Who controls the narrative? And what are the dangers of not acknowledging our bloodied past?
Compelling, thought-provoking, and deeply reflective, The Girl with a Thousand Faces will expand your understanding of what a ghost story can be and what they reflect about our own humanity.
With no memory, money, or family, Mercy Chan rebuilds her life in Kowloon, a neglected slum in World War II Hong Kong. Possessing a talent for communicating with ghosts, Mercy works for the city’s triad, dealing with the disturbed and vengeful spirits. When a particularly malevolent ghost begins drowning innocent people, Mercy is thrown on a quest that may hold the key to uncovering her own mysterious past and understanding the legacy of trauma that plagues Hong Kong and its inhabitants. Thirty-three years before, Sung Siu Yin and her mother narrowly escapedthe Japanese invasion, seeking refuge on the abandoned island Siu Yin’s mother grew up on.
The novel is thoroughly researched and brings a great deal of credibility, both through the writing and the author’s own history. This is rarely heavy-handed, though there are moments when cultural tradition is explained too pointedly. If you’ve read Dean’s other work, you will recognize the distinct stylization of her writing — dialogue that leans stilted, revealing plot more than character, and a formality that can distance audiences. In the first part of the book I especially struggled to sync up with the novel’s rhythm. Pacing plays a role in this and the second section of the book, which follows Siu Yin, was drawn out too long. Though I understand wanting to reveal the monotony and isolation of island life, the payoff could’ve been more satisfying had we understood the life Siu Yin and her mother left behind in Hong Kong.
The Girl with a Thousand Faces is a sweeping multi-generational story that moves between time, space, and perspective. These elements are cleverly utilized but the use of second person point-of-view was the most pleasantly surprising. It greatly enriched the narrative framing, mirroring the elements of mythology, folklore, and oral tradition which the story is built upon. Blending philosophy around ghosts and death, generational trauma of war, and rooting it within the specificity of World War II Hong Kong, is the strength of The Girl with a Thousand Faces. It unflinchingly examines the cost of war through the legacy of trauma, isolation, suppressed rage, and narrative autonomy — what does justice look like after death? Who controls the narrative? And what are the dangers of not acknowledging our bloodied past?
Compelling, thought-provoking, and deeply reflective, The Girl with a Thousand Faces will expand your understanding of what a ghost story can be and what they reflect about our own humanity.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK
'The Girl with a Thousand Faces' is the second book I've read from Sunyi Dean. If I enjoyed 'Book Eaters', I have to say 'The Girl with a Thousand Faces' hooked me and tugged me along throughout the pages. It's hard story. A sad story. But there is also a sliver of hope in there, and it makes the complexity stronger, makes the the story hit harder.
The story follows Mercy Chan, middle age ghost-talker, at two times in her life : Hong Kong during World War II and Hong Kong in the 70's. Not easy times (if easy times even exist) The atmosphere is gritty, doesn't shy away from the nastiness or the kindness. And then, a shift happens, and it turns everything upside down and makes it all more painful.
I loved how grounded in time and place the story felt, with a very strong atmosphere and sense of presence from the characters. There was beauty in the pain and the hurt, but not in a way that lessened it : no, it looks straight at it, without flinching, to show the complexity of life and trauma. Because let me tell you, there's plenty of trauma. It is a story about trauma, particuarly generational trauma, the cycle it creates, the tug of love and hate, of pain and finding your place, even a little. Heartbreak, and trying to find a way to push forward, still. You have to be able to bear it, but it is worth it and has such a deep resonance.
With the supernatural unfurling so tightly inside the family trauma, with a background so integral to the story, 'The Girl with a Thousand Faces' is a strong story, delivered with honesty and care. I'm so glad to have been able to read it before it's release, and hope it will find its readers, so it can be carried for a long time.
'The Girl with a Thousand Faces' is the second book I've read from Sunyi Dean. If I enjoyed 'Book Eaters', I have to say 'The Girl with a Thousand Faces' hooked me and tugged me along throughout the pages. It's hard story. A sad story. But there is also a sliver of hope in there, and it makes the complexity stronger, makes the the story hit harder.
The story follows Mercy Chan, middle age ghost-talker, at two times in her life : Hong Kong during World War II and Hong Kong in the 70's. Not easy times (if easy times even exist) The atmosphere is gritty, doesn't shy away from the nastiness or the kindness. And then, a shift happens, and it turns everything upside down and makes it all more painful.
I loved how grounded in time and place the story felt, with a very strong atmosphere and sense of presence from the characters. There was beauty in the pain and the hurt, but not in a way that lessened it : no, it looks straight at it, without flinching, to show the complexity of life and trauma. Because let me tell you, there's plenty of trauma. It is a story about trauma, particuarly generational trauma, the cycle it creates, the tug of love and hate, of pain and finding your place, even a little. Heartbreak, and trying to find a way to push forward, still. You have to be able to bear it, but it is worth it and has such a deep resonance.
With the supernatural unfurling so tightly inside the family trauma, with a background so integral to the story, 'The Girl with a Thousand Faces' is a strong story, delivered with honesty and care. I'm so glad to have been able to read it before it's release, and hope it will find its readers, so it can be carried for a long time.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.*
The girl with a Thousand Faces follows Mercy Chan who works for the triad. She washed up on the shores of Hong Kong during WWII and had no memory of her life. She went to the Walled City in Kowloon which is full of ghosts and made a home there. She works for the triad as a ghost-talker and performs exorcisms on bitter spirits. But there is a strange ghost that lurks in Kowloon’s waterways, killing innocents and wearing their bodies. The ghost claims she knows things about Mercy’s past and Mercy has to figure out what she did to anger this ghost.
I enjoyed reading this book and I will be recommending this. It does have a slow start but once I got into the story, I started to really enjoy it. This book is fantasy as it involves ghosts but there is a lot of interesting historical context in this book that I appreciated. You see how WWII impacted Mercy with Japan’s invasion of China as well as the impact the atomic bomb had on citizens. Themes such as colonialism and the role the British had in Hong Kong are discussed and these make the story richer. There are some interesting moments with spirits in this book and I enjoyed following Mercy as a character. This book is written well but this does feel a little dense and that meant it took me awhile to read it. That said, I had a good time reading this and I liked how this book dealt with many things at once.
The girl with a Thousand Faces follows Mercy Chan who works for the triad. She washed up on the shores of Hong Kong during WWII and had no memory of her life. She went to the Walled City in Kowloon which is full of ghosts and made a home there. She works for the triad as a ghost-talker and performs exorcisms on bitter spirits. But there is a strange ghost that lurks in Kowloon’s waterways, killing innocents and wearing their bodies. The ghost claims she knows things about Mercy’s past and Mercy has to figure out what she did to anger this ghost.
I enjoyed reading this book and I will be recommending this. It does have a slow start but once I got into the story, I started to really enjoy it. This book is fantasy as it involves ghosts but there is a lot of interesting historical context in this book that I appreciated. You see how WWII impacted Mercy with Japan’s invasion of China as well as the impact the atomic bomb had on citizens. Themes such as colonialism and the role the British had in Hong Kong are discussed and these make the story richer. There are some interesting moments with spirits in this book and I enjoyed following Mercy as a character. This book is written well but this does feel a little dense and that meant it took me awhile to read it. That said, I had a good time reading this and I liked how this book dealt with many things at once.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
🗓 Publication Date: May 5, 2026
📚 Series Title: The Girl with a Thousand Faces
👑 Author: Sunyi Dean
✨ Quick Summary & 🍵 Tea Thoughts
The Girl with a Thousand Faces is a dark speculative fantasy about a shapeshifting girl navigating identity, power, and survival in a dangerous world that sees her as a weapon, a threat, and a tool. As she changes faces to escape danger and manipulate situations, she becomes entangled in political intrigue, supernatural power struggles, and morally complex choices that challenge what it even means to have a true self. The story blends genre-bending fantasy, psychological tension, and social commentary with unsettling, atmospheric vibes.
This was a compelling and thought-provoking read with strong themes of identity, autonomy, and selfhood. The shapeshifting concept feels fresh and metaphor-heavy in a way that hits especially hard in a social media and performative identity era. Some sections lean more introspective and thematic than plot-driven, which can slow pacing, but the eerie tone, layered worldbuilding, and philosophical undertones keep it engaging. It’s the kind of book that sticks with you and makes you think, even if it’s not a binge-and-reread comfort read.
🩸 Shapeshifting protagonist
🧠 Identity and selfhood themes
🌑 Dark speculative fantasy
👁️ Power dynamics and manipulation
🪞 Psychological and genre-blending vibes
🔥 Atmospheric and unsettling tone
📚 Series Title: The Girl with a Thousand Faces
👑 Author: Sunyi Dean
✨ Quick Summary & 🍵 Tea Thoughts
The Girl with a Thousand Faces is a dark speculative fantasy about a shapeshifting girl navigating identity, power, and survival in a dangerous world that sees her as a weapon, a threat, and a tool. As she changes faces to escape danger and manipulate situations, she becomes entangled in political intrigue, supernatural power struggles, and morally complex choices that challenge what it even means to have a true self. The story blends genre-bending fantasy, psychological tension, and social commentary with unsettling, atmospheric vibes.
This was a compelling and thought-provoking read with strong themes of identity, autonomy, and selfhood. The shapeshifting concept feels fresh and metaphor-heavy in a way that hits especially hard in a social media and performative identity era. Some sections lean more introspective and thematic than plot-driven, which can slow pacing, but the eerie tone, layered worldbuilding, and philosophical undertones keep it engaging. It’s the kind of book that sticks with you and makes you think, even if it’s not a binge-and-reread comfort read.
🩸 Shapeshifting protagonist
🧠 Identity and selfhood themes
🌑 Dark speculative fantasy
👁️ Power dynamics and manipulation
🪞 Psychological and genre-blending vibes
🔥 Atmospheric and unsettling tone
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
The Girl with a Thousand Faces by Sunyi Dean is a haunting, genre-defying story about grief, memory, violence, and the ghosts we carry, both literal and internal.
Set in post World War II Hong Kong, the story introduces us to Mercy Chan, a ghost-talker living in Kowloon Walled City, navigating filthy gutters, cramped alleyways, and angry spirits alongside her red eyed ghost cat Bao. Mercy has no memories of her life before arriving in Kowloon, and that absence becomes one of the most unsettling mysteries threaded throughout the book. From the very beginning, you’re aware that something is wrong, and that feeling never really lets you go.
I genuinely couldn’t pin this book to a single genre. It’s fantasy, historical fiction, horror, and action all tangled together, but it’s also something quieter and heavier than that. Just when you think you’ve reached the core of the story, it pulls you deeper, revealing layer after layer of buried truths. Nothing here is simple, and nothing stays still for long.
What struck me most is how unapologetically harsh this story can be, in the best way. This story doesn't have romance and isn't for the faint hearted. It’s about loneliness, grief, survival, and the ways trauma reshapes people. Every chapter felt like another punch to the gut, another moment where I had to pause and just sit with what I��d read. Here are some quotes from the book that stayed with me:
“Bad enough to spend your life waiting on other people; even worse to spend the afterlife doing it, too.”
“She didn't know why those thoughts plagued her relentlessly, only that they did. It was simply a part of herself that she had learned to live with.”
This is also a story about power, control, and resistance. About a city the government wants erased for its own benefit, and about Mercy Chan refusing to let that happen, no matter the cost. Jail, violence, ghosts, nothing is off the table when it comes to protecting the place that became her home.
As Mercy uncovers her history, her recurring dreams, and the violent inner voices she’s never understood, everything begins to click into place. And when the truth finally reveals itself… it’s horrifying, the kind that lingers long after you’ve closed the book.
Set in post World War II Hong Kong, the story introduces us to Mercy Chan, a ghost-talker living in Kowloon Walled City, navigating filthy gutters, cramped alleyways, and angry spirits alongside her red eyed ghost cat Bao. Mercy has no memories of her life before arriving in Kowloon, and that absence becomes one of the most unsettling mysteries threaded throughout the book. From the very beginning, you’re aware that something is wrong, and that feeling never really lets you go.
I genuinely couldn’t pin this book to a single genre. It’s fantasy, historical fiction, horror, and action all tangled together, but it’s also something quieter and heavier than that. Just when you think you’ve reached the core of the story, it pulls you deeper, revealing layer after layer of buried truths. Nothing here is simple, and nothing stays still for long.
What struck me most is how unapologetically harsh this story can be, in the best way. This story doesn't have romance and isn't for the faint hearted. It’s about loneliness, grief, survival, and the ways trauma reshapes people. Every chapter felt like another punch to the gut, another moment where I had to pause and just sit with what I��d read. Here are some quotes from the book that stayed with me:
“Bad enough to spend your life waiting on other people; even worse to spend the afterlife doing it, too.”
“She didn't know why those thoughts plagued her relentlessly, only that they did. It was simply a part of herself that she had learned to live with.”
This is also a story about power, control, and resistance. About a city the government wants erased for its own benefit, and about Mercy Chan refusing to let that happen, no matter the cost. Jail, violence, ghosts, nothing is off the table when it comes to protecting the place that became her home.
As Mercy uncovers her history, her recurring dreams, and the violent inner voices she’s never understood, everything begins to click into place. And when the truth finally reveals itself… it’s horrifying, the kind that lingers long after you’ve closed the book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.25 ⭐
I’m aware that it’s likely a "me problem," as I don’t think this book was quite my cup of tea. I can’t say that I fell in love with it, but I can’t really say that I hated it either.
I found it confusing at first and even thought about DNFing it at one point. But as the story unfolded, everything started to make sense, and I felt compelled to learn the truth behind these two characters' stories.
What I found most confusing was the narration - again, it might be a "me problem" since English is not my first language. I couldn't quite understand what felt "off" until the story developed further. It then becomes clear that there is an omniscient narrator who, despite being involved in the story in some way, is there to tell a tale of ghosts, betrayal, sorrow, revenge, and, most importantly, forgiveness.
It is a very slow-paced story, but overall beautifully written. You find yourself understanding the characters' rage and why they did what they did, but ultimately, you just hope they find peace.
So, if you like supernatural stories and enjoy diving into a ghost's journey, then this is the book for you.
I want to the thank NetGalley and HarperCollins for giving me the chance to read this book.
I’m aware that it’s likely a "me problem," as I don’t think this book was quite my cup of tea. I can’t say that I fell in love with it, but I can’t really say that I hated it either.
I found it confusing at first and even thought about DNFing it at one point. But as the story unfolded, everything started to make sense, and I felt compelled to learn the truth behind these two characters' stories.
What I found most confusing was the narration - again, it might be a "me problem" since English is not my first language. I couldn't quite understand what felt "off" until the story developed further. It then becomes clear that there is an omniscient narrator who, despite being involved in the story in some way, is there to tell a tale of ghosts, betrayal, sorrow, revenge, and, most importantly, forgiveness.
"Pain is transient too, Baba. Good things may be transient, but so are bad things."
— The Girl with a Thousand Faces
It is a very slow-paced story, but overall beautifully written. You find yourself understanding the characters' rage and why they did what they did, but ultimately, you just hope they find peace.
So, if you like supernatural stories and enjoy diving into a ghost's journey, then this is the book for you.
I want to the thank NetGalley and HarperCollins for giving me the chance to read this book.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Anyone who knows me knows I love complex novels, in which each part of the book recontextualises what has come before. Iain M Banks did this in two of my favourite books - Use of Weapons and Walking on Glass - and so Dean does it here.
There's a special delight to be taken in engaging with such novels. Reveals and twists are weighty, surprising and profound. The plot is emotionally complex and grapples with themes of parenthood, inherited / transgenerational trauma, forgiveness, identity, self-acceptance and self actualisation, aging--and the regrets and reflections that come with it. In this instance, characters are - literally- burdened with ghosts, both personal and historical. Their curse is to see, and engage with, the spectral past, both the uncomfortably familial and the geopolitical impersonal. There is as much ugliness left in the wake of an unengaged, guilt-laden mother as there is a distant nuclear inferno.
You can tell when an author brings their whole self into their books, and Dean is one such writer. A rich and rewarding reading experience. Come for the gangsters in crumbling Kowloon, linger for the ghosts sinking warships in the Second World War, stay for the haunted islands in the South China Sea.
There's a special delight to be taken in engaging with such novels. Reveals and twists are weighty, surprising and profound. The plot is emotionally complex and grapples with themes of parenthood, inherited / transgenerational trauma, forgiveness, identity, self-acceptance and self actualisation, aging--and the regrets and reflections that come with it. In this instance, characters are - literally- burdened with ghosts, both personal and historical. Their curse is to see, and engage with, the spectral past, both the uncomfortably familial and the geopolitical impersonal. There is as much ugliness left in the wake of an unengaged, guilt-laden mother as there is a distant nuclear inferno.
You can tell when an author brings their whole self into their books, and Dean is one such writer. A rich and rewarding reading experience. Come for the gangsters in crumbling Kowloon, linger for the ghosts sinking warships in the Second World War, stay for the haunted islands in the South China Sea.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I honestly don't even know how to describe this. Partly historical, partly urban fantasy, partly mystery, very much ghost story, but none of that does justice to explain some of the most complex characters and character history I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Oh, and it's all written with beautiful prose, just to really rub in how unfair Sunyi Dean's level of talent is.
There is a lot of pain and suffering - the ghosts literally exist because of this! - and the writing does not shy away from this, whether it's about the horrors of war (set in Hong Kong in the 1940s and 1970s) or the horrors of what people will do to each other. This is a story about survival, but also about revenge and reparations and generational trauma. If you think it starts fairly light-hearted with Mercy Chan, a ghost-talker who is the epitome of "good for her," well, no, you don't.
Masterful storytelling about vengeance and the (literal) ghosts of our past, The Girl With a Thousand Faces is one of the best books you'll read in 2026, mark my words. I already want to reread it.
Thank you to the publisher, HarperVoyager, and to NetGalley for the ARC.
There is a lot of pain and suffering - the ghosts literally exist because of this! - and the writing does not shy away from this, whether it's about the horrors of war (set in Hong Kong in the 1940s and 1970s) or the horrors of what people will do to each other. This is a story about survival, but also about revenge and reparations and generational trauma. If you think it starts fairly light-hearted with Mercy Chan, a ghost-talker who is the epitome of "good for her," well, no, you don't.
Masterful storytelling about vengeance and the (literal) ghosts of our past, The Girl With a Thousand Faces is one of the best books you'll read in 2026, mark my words. I already want to reread it.
Thank you to the publisher, HarperVoyager, and to NetGalley for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I loved this one, for so many reason. For one, the writing is simply superb. The Girl With a Thousand Faces sets up the mystery of Mercy Chan, a woman that can talk to ghosts and works for a triad queen doing just that. Mercy doesn't remember anything about her past beyond the last few decades she spent in Hongkong's Kowloon Walled City - nothing about her upbringing, her childhood, her parents, where she came from before she was found drowning in the middle of the ocean. It's an intriguing mystery, and the way Sunyi Dean explores it, the way the narrative unfolds, the way perspectives are played with is just masterful. I loved every page.
The themes hit hard, the generational trauma is felt through the pages. The book is heartbreaking and dark, the world it's set in - a slightly alternative world to ours - is fascinating. I loved the way ghosts play an important part. There aren't many relevant characters, but the ones there are are complex and intriguing.
There's honestly nothing I would criticise here - one of the early reading highlights of the year. I will be thinking about it for a while.
Many thanks to HarperCollins and Netgalley for the arc!
The themes hit hard, the generational trauma is felt through the pages. The book is heartbreaking and dark, the world it's set in - a slightly alternative world to ours - is fascinating. I loved the way ghosts play an important part. There aren't many relevant characters, but the ones there are are complex and intriguing.
There's honestly nothing I would criticise here - one of the early reading highlights of the year. I will be thinking about it for a while.
Many thanks to HarperCollins and Netgalley for the arc!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Sunyi Dean didn't disappoint with this one.
The story follows ghost-talker Mercy Chan as a series of supernatural murders threaten her home of Kowloon Walled City, Hong Kong. At first, I thought I was in for a supernatural mystery/thriller with a pair of eccentric middle-aged woman detectives, and I was excited for the ride.
And then the point of view switched, completely subverting my expectations in the best possible way.
Sunyi Dean's Hong Kong is atmospheric, gritty, and a little noir. The prose pulls no punches and delivers exactly what it needs to, and does so beautifully. This was a wonderfully gothic story, exploring the generational devastation of war and grief, and how hurt becomes a ghost in itself. I absolutely recommend this book for all lovers of ghost stories.
Rating:
Five ghosts out of five! This book cured my chronic reading slump.
A shortform review is also available on my TikTok and Instagram pages linked below (both @violenceandotherstories). Many thanks to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for providing the ARC. This was the first ARC I was approved for, and it was a truly special experience!
The story follows ghost-talker Mercy Chan as a series of supernatural murders threaten her home of Kowloon Walled City, Hong Kong. At first, I thought I was in for a supernatural mystery/thriller with a pair of eccentric middle-aged woman detectives, and I was excited for the ride.
And then the point of view switched, completely subverting my expectations in the best possible way.
Sunyi Dean's Hong Kong is atmospheric, gritty, and a little noir. The prose pulls no punches and delivers exactly what it needs to, and does so beautifully. This was a wonderfully gothic story, exploring the generational devastation of war and grief, and how hurt becomes a ghost in itself. I absolutely recommend this book for all lovers of ghost stories.
Rating:
Five ghosts out of five! This book cured my chronic reading slump.
A shortform review is also available on my TikTok and Instagram pages linked below (both @violenceandotherstories). Many thanks to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for providing the ARC. This was the first ARC I was approved for, and it was a truly special experience!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5⭐
I've been stewing with my thoughts after finishing this book, because there’s a lot I liked and a lot that I didn't. And some of the aspects that I did like was more so potential that did not live up to my expectations.
I did like the story and the mystery of this book. The plot twist was really well done, and I could not have hoped to predict it. The fantasy elements were weaved in really well with what we think of reality. Sui Yin was my favorite character in this, and her entire arc was really interesting.
I did not like the way the POV changed between first, second, and third perspective. I understand story-wise what was being done, but it just felt messy to me. The dialogue was also really stiff, and it took me out of the story. That and some other elements of the story made this feel very YA, even though we're following older characters (which is another aspect I liked). I had to keep reminding myself that these characters were all in their mid-fifties(ish), because they all sounded like teenagers.
I just feel like this story had a lot of potential and for the most part I did enjoy it, it just didn't go all the way for me.
I've been stewing with my thoughts after finishing this book, because there’s a lot I liked and a lot that I didn't. And some of the aspects that I did like was more so potential that did not live up to my expectations.
I did like the story and the mystery of this book. The plot twist was really well done, and I could not have hoped to predict it. The fantasy elements were weaved in really well with what we think of reality. Sui Yin was my favorite character in this, and her entire arc was really interesting.
I did not like the way the POV changed between first, second, and third perspective. I understand story-wise what was being done, but it just felt messy to me. The dialogue was also really stiff, and it took me out of the story. That and some other elements of the story made this feel very YA, even though we're following older characters (which is another aspect I liked). I had to keep reminding myself that these characters were all in their mid-fifties(ish), because they all sounded like teenagers.
I just feel like this story had a lot of potential and for the most part I did enjoy it, it just didn't go all the way for me.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Plot:
About 3 decades ago Mercy Chan got washed ashore in the midst of WW2 with no memory, no money and no where to go. She has survived war and whatnot by hiding in a ghost infested walled city. Over the decades she has established herself as a ghost talker mediating with the unrest souls. But at present the past she doesn't remember has come back to haunt her and destroy everything she loves.
Thoughts:
Read this book knowing as little as possible on what to expect but know that it has angry ghosts, hauntings, war, massacre, murder, betrayal, vengeance, revenge and urban Gods. The writing is beautiful and the execution is well thought out that we get to see the present and past in different perspectives. One of the best books with a middle aged main character, thinking and acting sensibly. Mercy Chan's past revelation is a twist I did not see coming and made the book so much more interesting and unputdownable. This is one of the best books of 2026 and I'll remember this for a very long time.
Thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
About 3 decades ago Mercy Chan got washed ashore in the midst of WW2 with no memory, no money and no where to go. She has survived war and whatnot by hiding in a ghost infested walled city. Over the decades she has established herself as a ghost talker mediating with the unrest souls. But at present the past she doesn't remember has come back to haunt her and destroy everything she loves.
Thoughts:
Read this book knowing as little as possible on what to expect but know that it has angry ghosts, hauntings, war, massacre, murder, betrayal, vengeance, revenge and urban Gods. The writing is beautiful and the execution is well thought out that we get to see the present and past in different perspectives. One of the best books with a middle aged main character, thinking and acting sensibly. Mercy Chan's past revelation is a twist I did not see coming and made the book so much more interesting and unputdownable. This is one of the best books of 2026 and I'll remember this for a very long time.
Thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 9, 2026
I know a book shouldn’t be judged by its cover but when I saw the cover of this book, I just had to read it! While it didn’t completely blow me away, it was still a pleasant read that I quite enjoyed.
The Girl with a Thousand Faces is a ghost story set mainly in Hong Kong during the Second World War and its aftermath. Tackling themes such as guilt, grief, trauma and the ugly realities of war, it is essentially a story about two women who were wronged, betrayed and abandoned and their devastating struggle for justice and ultimately forgiveness.
The author creates an immersive experience with well-written characters and an interesting plot. The writing style feels original and is easy to read.
While I can‘t point to anything particularly negative, the story still didn’t fully captivate me.
Nevertheless, I‘d recommend this book to anyone looking for a haunting and emotional story with a diverse cast of characters, set against the harsh reality of war and its long-lasting consequences in a city like Hong Kong.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
The Girl with a Thousand Faces is a ghost story set mainly in Hong Kong during the Second World War and its aftermath. Tackling themes such as guilt, grief, trauma and the ugly realities of war, it is essentially a story about two women who were wronged, betrayed and abandoned and their devastating struggle for justice and ultimately forgiveness.
The author creates an immersive experience with well-written characters and an interesting plot. The writing style feels original and is easy to read.
While I can‘t point to anything particularly negative, the story still didn’t fully captivate me.
Nevertheless, I‘d recommend this book to anyone looking for a haunting and emotional story with a diverse cast of characters, set against the harsh reality of war and its long-lasting consequences in a city like Hong Kong.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
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