What do you think?
Rate this book
The Daoshi Chronicles #2
The Girl with No Face
The adventures of Li-lin, a Daoist priestess with the unique ability to see the spirit world, continue in the thrilling follow-up to the critically-acclaimed historical urban fantasy The Girl with Ghost Eyes.
It’s the end of the Nineteenth Century. San Francisco’s cobblestone streets are haunted, but Chinatown has an unlikely protector in a young Daoist priestess named Li-lin. Using only her martial arts training, spiritual magic, a sword made from peachwood, and the walking, talking spirit of a human eye, Li-lin stands alone to defend her immigrant community from supernatural threats.
But when the body of a young girl is brought to the deadhouse Li-lin oversees for a local group of gangsters, she faces her most bewildering—and potentially dangerous—assignment yet. The nine-year-old has died from suffocation . . . specifically by flowers growing out of her nose and mouth. Li-lin suspects Gong Tau, a dirty and primitive form of dark magic. But who is behind the spell, and why, will take her on a perilous journey deep into a dangerous world of ghosts and spirits.
With hard historical realism and meticulously researched depictions of Chinese monsters and magic that have never been written about in the English language, The Girl with No Face draws from the action-packed cinema of Hong Kong to create a compelling and unforgettable tale of historical fantasy and Chinese lore.
It’s the end of the Nineteenth Century. San Francisco’s cobblestone streets are haunted, but Chinatown has an unlikely protector in a young Daoist priestess named Li-lin. Using only her martial arts training, spiritual magic, a sword made from peachwood, and the walking, talking spirit of a human eye, Li-lin stands alone to defend her immigrant community from supernatural threats.
But when the body of a young girl is brought to the deadhouse Li-lin oversees for a local group of gangsters, she faces her most bewildering—and potentially dangerous—assignment yet. The nine-year-old has died from suffocation . . . specifically by flowers growing out of her nose and mouth. Li-lin suspects Gong Tau, a dirty and primitive form of dark magic. But who is behind the spell, and why, will take her on a perilous journey deep into a dangerous world of ghosts and spirits.
With hard historical realism and meticulously researched depictions of Chinese monsters and magic that have never been written about in the English language, The Girl with No Face draws from the action-packed cinema of Hong Kong to create a compelling and unforgettable tale of historical fantasy and Chinese lore.
360 pages, Hardcover
First published February 19, 2019
75 people are currently reading
1431 people want to read
About the author
M.H. Boroson
3 books288 followersWhen M.H. Boroson was nine years old, a Chinese American friend invited him to dinner with his family. Over a big, raucous meal, his friend's uncle told a story about a beautiful fox woman. She had a magic pearl and she stole men's energy.
Boroson wanted to learn more about this fox woman, so he went to the library. They had Greek, Norse, and Arthurian mythology. They had vampires, witches, werewolves, and fairies, but they didn't have anything like the story his friend's uncle told -- not even an encyclopedia entry.
This baffled him. A number of his friends were Asian American; why weren't their families' stories in the books? He asked his friend's uncle to tell him more stories. He started asking other kids if he could interview their families. If they said yes, he'd go to their houses, bringing a notebook.
In college, he studied Mandarin and Religion (with a focus on Chinese Buddhism). He lived near a video store that had a large selection of Hong Kong cinema; he rented Shaw Brothers movies, as well as Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and John Woo films. He loved BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER too; it was fun genre fluff on the surface, but it also had deeper meanings.
One day he realized he could combine everything he loved: Chinese ghost lore, Buffy, kung fu movies, fantasy novels, history. He could write stories about Chinese magic and monsters, using these incredible cultural details as metaphors to dramatize the experiences of immigrants in America.
Stories told from inside the culture, centered on people whose lives had been treated as marginal. Stories inverting the margins, subverting stereotypes. Chinese American characters portrayed as three-dimensional, diverse human beings -- facing challenges, earning a living, supporting families, struggling to hold on to traditional values in a new country. Exciting, action-packed stories that base their fantasy imagery in Chinese folklore, but tackle issues of vital importance in today's world, like race, class, gender, culture, and power.
He started taking notes. He bought hand-written Daoist manuscripts. He interviewed Chinese and Chinese American people again. He took detailed notes from Chinese stories, like Pu Songling's Tales from the Liaozhai, and ancient texts like the Shan Hai Jing (Classic of Mountains and Seas) and Journey to the West. He watched movies like MR. VAMPIRE and A CHINESE GHOST STORY. He took sixty thousand pages of notes.
From Iris Chang, he learned to write about history from a place of compassion. Walter Mosley's Easy Rawlins stories taught him how an investigation can paint a vivid picture of an ethnic enclave at a specific historical moment. Jim Butcher's Dresden Files showed him how to create big fun supernatural adventures. Tony Hillerman's Navajo mysteries gave him a way to write about a culture that isn't his own, trying to honor the people he's writing about.
THE GIRL WITH GHOST EYES is his first novel. It received a Starred Review from Publishers Weekly, won first prize in the Colorado Gold and Crested Butte Writers writing contests, was nominated as one of the ten best books of the month at LibraryReads, and was listed as one of Bustle.com's best diverse fantasy novels.
Boroson wanted to learn more about this fox woman, so he went to the library. They had Greek, Norse, and Arthurian mythology. They had vampires, witches, werewolves, and fairies, but they didn't have anything like the story his friend's uncle told -- not even an encyclopedia entry.
This baffled him. A number of his friends were Asian American; why weren't their families' stories in the books? He asked his friend's uncle to tell him more stories. He started asking other kids if he could interview their families. If they said yes, he'd go to their houses, bringing a notebook.
In college, he studied Mandarin and Religion (with a focus on Chinese Buddhism). He lived near a video store that had a large selection of Hong Kong cinema; he rented Shaw Brothers movies, as well as Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and John Woo films. He loved BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER too; it was fun genre fluff on the surface, but it also had deeper meanings.
One day he realized he could combine everything he loved: Chinese ghost lore, Buffy, kung fu movies, fantasy novels, history. He could write stories about Chinese magic and monsters, using these incredible cultural details as metaphors to dramatize the experiences of immigrants in America.
Stories told from inside the culture, centered on people whose lives had been treated as marginal. Stories inverting the margins, subverting stereotypes. Chinese American characters portrayed as three-dimensional, diverse human beings -- facing challenges, earning a living, supporting families, struggling to hold on to traditional values in a new country. Exciting, action-packed stories that base their fantasy imagery in Chinese folklore, but tackle issues of vital importance in today's world, like race, class, gender, culture, and power.
He started taking notes. He bought hand-written Daoist manuscripts. He interviewed Chinese and Chinese American people again. He took detailed notes from Chinese stories, like Pu Songling's Tales from the Liaozhai, and ancient texts like the Shan Hai Jing (Classic of Mountains and Seas) and Journey to the West. He watched movies like MR. VAMPIRE and A CHINESE GHOST STORY. He took sixty thousand pages of notes.
From Iris Chang, he learned to write about history from a place of compassion. Walter Mosley's Easy Rawlins stories taught him how an investigation can paint a vivid picture of an ethnic enclave at a specific historical moment. Jim Butcher's Dresden Files showed him how to create big fun supernatural adventures. Tony Hillerman's Navajo mysteries gave him a way to write about a culture that isn't his own, trying to honor the people he's writing about.
THE GIRL WITH GHOST EYES is his first novel. It received a Starred Review from Publishers Weekly, won first prize in the Colorado Gold and Crested Butte Writers writing contests, was nominated as one of the ten best books of the month at LibraryReads, and was listed as one of Bustle.com's best diverse fantasy novels.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
November 7, 2019
Check out more reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...
The Buzz
The Girl with Ghost Eyes, the first book in the Daoshi Chronicles, caught my eye because of the fabulous title!! I wasn't sure I wanted to read about 1890s San Francisco at first but found it an incredible world so full of Chinese mythology and the spirit creatures that I love. I eagerly awaited the sequel... and its finally here, 4 years later!!
Just like the first book, The Girl with No Face has a fabulous title that totally fits the story and touches on a Chinese world full of gods, spirits and demons!! We get a taste of that content in the cover which I like a lot more than the first book's design. I do wish the cover featured more art that references what is in the story rather than being so generic. A tiger monk, a faceless girl, flowers growing out of mouths, paper cities... there is a lot more specific imagery that could have been focused on to better effect.
The Premise
Li-lin, a Daoist priestess, is a widow in 1890s San Francisco, she works for a mobster as his body guard. She isn't nearly as powerful as her father but she does well with the skills and power she does hold. For the first time she's on her own, living without family, alongside her employers. The Girl with No Face continues where The Girl with Ghost Eyes left off, but both are standalone novels in that relationships continue but the villains are defeated by the end of the books.
In The Girl with No Face, a little girl married as a child bride to a member of her boss' gang dies due to flowers growing out of her mouth. When Li-lin goes to do the death rites she finds the body without a soul. Uh oh!! I loved how quickly we jumped into the story. We get a little prologue that doesn't spoil you for the first book but explains her relationship with her father. Then within the first chapter the plot is off and running!!
I love this about M.H. Boroson's storytelling skills. He knows not to lead us on a merry chase setting up the mystery. No, he jumps right in and it was like I had just read about Li-lin the week before (and not years before!) It was that easy to pick back up with her. I didn't have to re-read The Girl with Ghost Eyes and yet there also wasn't much of anything that spoils that book either. The writing has certainly improved though! I found the writing style much smoother and easier to read.
Another thing that made The Girl with No Face a stellar sequel was there was no middle book slump!! The mystery was so twisted and there was plenty of leads for Li-lin to follow. I never felt a dull moment. In fact, you will get to 50% and go... WOAH! How can there still be so much going on? And you settle in the explore this crazy Chinese world even further. I love how stuffed with mythology and magic it is but without being confusing and hard to follow.
And the stakes are so much higher!! You assume Li-lin will grow closer to certain characters, that hardships will be put aside and relationships will die... And yet it totally doesn't go as you expect!! Instead you find that Li-Lin is coming into her own as a woman. Sure, she struck out on her own in The Girl with Ghost Eyes but what about the fallout? Well instead of avoiding all the messiness Li-lin keeps pushing forward, doing what she feels is right. And its a gorgeously Chinese adventure.
My Experience
There is something magical when an author can take elements that you aren't terrible interested in and make something compelling. And M.H. Boroson has done that with his The Daoshi Chronicles. The only thing that I didn't love about The Girl with Ghost Eyes was the writing style, particularly how information was disseminated to the reader... but The Girl with No Face totally fixed that! I didn't feel like I was wading through a lot of information I didn't need. And the ways in which we learned about different things was compelling.
We also met some of the old favorites from The Girl with Ghost Eyes in a natural manner that made The Girl with No Face feel richer and deeper than you expect. Mr. Eyeball, the Tiger monk, the good doctor and his wild magic wife, her powerful disproving Daoist father. Besides her crazy boss, his seductive wife and their adorable daughter. And we meet a new character, the girl with no face!! Like Li-lin I was totally won over... perhaps she meant more to me than other more substantial characters too.
The end certainly leads us to believe we'll get another installment of the Daoshi Chronicles. The stakes have certainly risen for Li-lin. She's really come into her Daoist power. I did find the forgiveness part at the end of The Girl with No Face a little overwrought. But it also fit with the themes we'd explored through the series so far. I do hope this time the third book comes much faster than 4 years... though if its as good as this sequel then I will certainly find it well worth the wait!
Why Will You LOVE The Girl with No Face?
-Martial Arts.
Daoists use martial arts in some pretty neat ways. And Li-lin fights a duel to decide everything!!
-Spirit Magic.
Daoists use their magic to facilitate the soul from life to afterlife. Li-lin and her father work together to battle dark magic to save the innocent!!
-Gong Tau Hexes.
The evil spells are powerful in their simplicity and the vices they latch onto. Li-lin is threatened with the loss of the one thing she holds most dear!!
-Chinese Mythology.
The different aspects of the afterlife, Daoism and the spirit world are rich and dense with history. Li-lin uses her knowledge of Chinese culture to lay a trick of her own!!
-Paper Offerings.
GAHHHH, the way offerings to the dead and done in Chinese culture is an incredible foundation for us to learn about ghosts and the afterlife. Li-lin falls for someone who is a little different, just like she is!!
The Girl with No Face is a stellar look at 1890s San Francisco... at the little known spirit magic of Daoist priests and priestesses. We meet new monsters, ghosts and demons and call on allies for their specific specialties... its all for three little girls who don't deserve to be plowed under due to the ambitions of gods and ghosts!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Writing Style
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot & Pacing
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ World Building
A- Cover & Title grade
Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. It has not influenced my opinions.
______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. Read my special perspective under the typewriter on my reviews...
Please like this review if you enjoyed it! *bow* *bow* It helps me out a ton!!
June 24, 2019
Note: ARC provided by Edelweiss. This ARC is also available in the Read Now section of NetGalley within the U.S. This book will be released on October 1, 2019.
“How could we hope to heal from the traumas of the past, when those traumas shape who we are and how we act in the present?”
A few months ago, I learned that the legendary martial artist Bruce Lee wrote an eight-page treatment for a story about Chinese immigration in the old American West. Cinemax had developed a television show based on Lee’s work called “Warrior,” about a man who emigrates from China to San Francisco in the late 19th century in search of his sister. While not historically factual, I still learned many things. Instead of the vast American riches that many of their countrymen sought, the Chinese were segregated into a small, dilapidated area, nicknamed Chinatown, where gangs and tongs fought for the control of organized crime in the city: opium dens, brothels, and illegal wares. Most of the Chinese were conscripted to slave labor conditions, barely paid enough to eat and survive. They were forced to build railroads and other city infrastructure and were easily replaced with new immigrants when they died of sickness, exhaustion, or mistreatment. The Chinese were also easy targets for the rampant racism laced throughout the populace. Stepping outside Chinatown was enough cause to be beaten or arrested, regardless if you were just walking to work or buying food. If you were a Chinese immigrant, everything was stacked against you: you were poor, you were surrounded by hate and ignorance, and there was nowhere else to go.
This is the setting for M. H. Boroson’s “The Daoshi Chronicles,” debuting in 2015 with The Girl with Ghost Eyes, and now releasing its second volume, The Girl with No Face. Although the books are serialized, one can start with The Girl with No Face and not feel lost, though I do recommend starting at the beginning. You’re going to want to spend as much time with Li-Lin as possible.
“I already know the word zhongli, the attraction between celestial bodies. The Americans had their own name for it: ‘gravity.’ That word had another meaning, because gravity is seriousness. I loved that image, object drawing closer because of how seriously they took each other. Growing up I was always the moon orbiting my father’s planet, eclipsed by him and in his shadow.”
I realize I’ve painted a grim setting so far, but this book is filled with beauty and wonder. It is a blend of historical fiction, horror fantasy, Chinese mythology, Dao religion, ancient customs, spiritual monsters, and demon-slaying sword fights that venture into the gates of Hell itself. It’s also a tender story of a widowed young woman whose gender is seen as secondary in her society, and her rare gift of seeing the spirit world complicates her relationship with her more traditionally-leaning father. Her incredible bravery and sense of moral justice are often dismissed simply because she is a woman. But her father is also her mentor, and the only family she has left in this world after her husband was killed by American constables. Although she has led a difficult life, Li-Lin acts with honor, deference, and determination. She often finds herself in dangerous situations, but she aims to be resolve them in other ways first, using violence as a last resort.
“The world is not kind to people like us. We’re women so we can’t own land; we’re Chinese so we can’t open bank accounts; we’re Chinese immigrants so we have no path to citizenship. So many doors are closed to you and me. Youth and beauty can open some doors for us, but youth and beauty do not last; we must use them well before they’re gone.”
One of the greatest of this book’s many strengths is the power and authenticity of its narrative voice. Granted, I’m not a 22-year-old female Chinese-American martial artist who guides souls to their resting places after they die… at least, I don’t think I am, so I can’t speak to its actual authenticity. Yet Boroson channels Li-Lin’s experiences in such interesting and revelatory ways that it felt like I was perceiving an entirely new approach to think and interact with the world. Li-Lin’s journey is rich and teeming with facets of the human experience that are both fascinating and utterly foreign to me. There are spiritual customs and rituals, interactions with various Dao and Buddhist spirits and demons, searches for missing souls, a multi-faceted mystery that unravels in unexpected ways… all these attributes combine with Boroson’s clever, exquisite prose makes this reading experience feel transcendent.
I recall reading The Girl with the Ghost Eyes when it was released, long before I started writing about books for fun. The unique world-building that Boroson had built has always stayed fresh in my mind; it was fascinating how one book could encapsulate what it might feel like to live during that era while also introducing incredible elements of fantasy, horror, action, spirituality, religion, deep character growth, and sheer wonder. The Girl with No Face improves upon this in every sense: the relationships grow more complex, the action scenes are more gratifying, the mysteries are fascinating, and the tragedies cut even deeper. I cannot recall a book that has taken me out of my own head and pulled me this deep into its lore. If you have any interest in any of the topics mentioned above, go grab a copy off NetGalley now, pre-order it off a retailer, or go pick up the first volume of the series.
9.2 / 10
“How could we hope to heal from the traumas of the past, when those traumas shape who we are and how we act in the present?”
A few months ago, I learned that the legendary martial artist Bruce Lee wrote an eight-page treatment for a story about Chinese immigration in the old American West. Cinemax had developed a television show based on Lee’s work called “Warrior,” about a man who emigrates from China to San Francisco in the late 19th century in search of his sister. While not historically factual, I still learned many things. Instead of the vast American riches that many of their countrymen sought, the Chinese were segregated into a small, dilapidated area, nicknamed Chinatown, where gangs and tongs fought for the control of organized crime in the city: opium dens, brothels, and illegal wares. Most of the Chinese were conscripted to slave labor conditions, barely paid enough to eat and survive. They were forced to build railroads and other city infrastructure and were easily replaced with new immigrants when they died of sickness, exhaustion, or mistreatment. The Chinese were also easy targets for the rampant racism laced throughout the populace. Stepping outside Chinatown was enough cause to be beaten or arrested, regardless if you were just walking to work or buying food. If you were a Chinese immigrant, everything was stacked against you: you were poor, you were surrounded by hate and ignorance, and there was nowhere else to go.
This is the setting for M. H. Boroson’s “The Daoshi Chronicles,” debuting in 2015 with The Girl with Ghost Eyes, and now releasing its second volume, The Girl with No Face. Although the books are serialized, one can start with The Girl with No Face and not feel lost, though I do recommend starting at the beginning. You’re going to want to spend as much time with Li-Lin as possible.
“I already know the word zhongli, the attraction between celestial bodies. The Americans had their own name for it: ‘gravity.’ That word had another meaning, because gravity is seriousness. I loved that image, object drawing closer because of how seriously they took each other. Growing up I was always the moon orbiting my father’s planet, eclipsed by him and in his shadow.”
I realize I’ve painted a grim setting so far, but this book is filled with beauty and wonder. It is a blend of historical fiction, horror fantasy, Chinese mythology, Dao religion, ancient customs, spiritual monsters, and demon-slaying sword fights that venture into the gates of Hell itself. It’s also a tender story of a widowed young woman whose gender is seen as secondary in her society, and her rare gift of seeing the spirit world complicates her relationship with her more traditionally-leaning father. Her incredible bravery and sense of moral justice are often dismissed simply because she is a woman. But her father is also her mentor, and the only family she has left in this world after her husband was killed by American constables. Although she has led a difficult life, Li-Lin acts with honor, deference, and determination. She often finds herself in dangerous situations, but she aims to be resolve them in other ways first, using violence as a last resort.
“The world is not kind to people like us. We’re women so we can’t own land; we’re Chinese so we can’t open bank accounts; we’re Chinese immigrants so we have no path to citizenship. So many doors are closed to you and me. Youth and beauty can open some doors for us, but youth and beauty do not last; we must use them well before they’re gone.”
One of the greatest of this book’s many strengths is the power and authenticity of its narrative voice. Granted, I’m not a 22-year-old female Chinese-American martial artist who guides souls to their resting places after they die… at least, I don’t think I am, so I can’t speak to its actual authenticity. Yet Boroson channels Li-Lin’s experiences in such interesting and revelatory ways that it felt like I was perceiving an entirely new approach to think and interact with the world. Li-Lin’s journey is rich and teeming with facets of the human experience that are both fascinating and utterly foreign to me. There are spiritual customs and rituals, interactions with various Dao and Buddhist spirits and demons, searches for missing souls, a multi-faceted mystery that unravels in unexpected ways… all these attributes combine with Boroson’s clever, exquisite prose makes this reading experience feel transcendent.
I recall reading The Girl with the Ghost Eyes when it was released, long before I started writing about books for fun. The unique world-building that Boroson had built has always stayed fresh in my mind; it was fascinating how one book could encapsulate what it might feel like to live during that era while also introducing incredible elements of fantasy, horror, action, spirituality, religion, deep character growth, and sheer wonder. The Girl with No Face improves upon this in every sense: the relationships grow more complex, the action scenes are more gratifying, the mysteries are fascinating, and the tragedies cut even deeper. I cannot recall a book that has taken me out of my own head and pulled me this deep into its lore. If you have any interest in any of the topics mentioned above, go grab a copy off NetGalley now, pre-order it off a retailer, or go pick up the first volume of the series.
9.2 / 10
July 5, 2022
I’m usually not drawn to the historical fantasy genre (with the exception of Chinese wuxia novels) but the title of this book had me intrigued. I guess I was just curious to find out what kind of Chinese mythology the American author was so enamored with as to come up with a whole series based on it (this is book #2).
From the start, I was wrapped up in the intricate plot and gradually became charmed by the upright Daoist heroine Xian Li-lin. The plot did branch out into numerous extraneous but interesting tangents, but in the end the snarled web of threads eventually became disentangled in a satisfying denouement.
The general impression I got from reading was a blend of vampire film, Disney cartoon and wuxia action flick.
The one thing I was most amazed about was the author’s intimate knowledge of Chinese religious and traditional beliefs, myths and customs. What touched a chord with me was the sensitive and respectful way he handled the cultural details that were not native to him. His thorough research of late 1800’s San Francisco Chinatown also shone through.
My favorite quote from the book: "I don't see how you can expect me to honor your people's ways while you're expressing scorn for mine, Mrs. Wei."
Overall, it was an entertaining read. I’m giving it 4.3 stars.
From the start, I was wrapped up in the intricate plot and gradually became charmed by the upright Daoist heroine Xian Li-lin. The plot did branch out into numerous extraneous but interesting tangents, but in the end the snarled web of threads eventually became disentangled in a satisfying denouement.
The general impression I got from reading was a blend of vampire film, Disney cartoon and wuxia action flick.
The one thing I was most amazed about was the author’s intimate knowledge of Chinese religious and traditional beliefs, myths and customs. What touched a chord with me was the sensitive and respectful way he handled the cultural details that were not native to him. His thorough research of late 1800’s San Francisco Chinatown also shone through.
My favorite quote from the book: "I don't see how you can expect me to honor your people's ways while you're expressing scorn for mine, Mrs. Wei."
Overall, it was an entertaining read. I’m giving it 4.3 stars.
January 13, 2020
This is an absolutely fabulous series! Packed with action, brilliant world building, set at the end of the nineteenth century San Francisco within the Chinese community. Li-Lin is breaking the mould of how women are perceived at this time, where a woman cannot be both good and powerful. She is brave and completely kick ass when it comes to martial arts. Recommended.
December 13, 2019
This will be a tough book for me to review. My friends know that The Girl with Ghost Eyes is my favorite book, of all time. I have read it FOUR TIMES, and each time I loved it more. As a Chinese-American woman, when I need strength, I look in the mirror and imagine I'm Li-lin, with a peach wood sword in my hand and a talking eyeball on my shoulder.
After waiting for the sequel for yeeeaaars, I approached it nervously. Would the book let me down? Would it break everything I loved about the first book? My worries were unfounded. By the end of the first page, I was riveted. By the end of the fifth page, I ceased to exist as I became Li-lin, floating on a sea of symbols and images that were so, so beautiful, so vivid, and so familiar, from my childhood in Taiwan. All kinds of rituals I witnessed in street festivals and temples came flashing to life in my mind's eye, and M.H. Boroson has such depth of understanding that I felt my own culture, my own people, making sense to me in a new way.
I loved the first book so, so much, and but yet was unprepared for how much I would love this one. Boroson is an incredible storyteller. One scene had me anxious and terrified and then in one sentence I was shreiking with joy, I started laughing so hard I was crying. This kind of thing happened again and again, the emotions so profound and intense. Li-lin is THE BEST. There were some rough edges to her in the first book but it's like all the issues got fixed, and what remains is transcendent, GLORIOUS. Her relationship to her father kept me on a roller coaster throughout, and felt so real to me, and felt like my own father, like Li-lin I could never tell if he was a selfish jerk or a great and devoted man, and maybe he was both?
I knew exactly what Boroson was going for with the Ghost Yamen, even before I read about it in the notes. My culture has a grandeur and I'm supposed to feel connected with it through Chinese history and heritage, but I often don't feel that way, and there's a burden of expectation I place on myself when I look at ancient images of my ancestry and feel nothing by dejection, followed by alienation and shame. Aren't these supposed to be my people, why don't I feel the connection there? So the Ghost Yamen was just the PERFECT metaphor for exploring this gap between me and my heritage.
At the climax, something changes in the writing, I never saw that kind of change take place before, and I was disoriented at first but then I was in rapture. SO FULFILLING. Oh my god! Who do I need to kill to get this made into a movie?
I CANNOT WAIT for the next book! But please maybe don't take so long next time?
After waiting for the sequel for yeeeaaars, I approached it nervously. Would the book let me down? Would it break everything I loved about the first book? My worries were unfounded. By the end of the first page, I was riveted. By the end of the fifth page, I ceased to exist as I became Li-lin, floating on a sea of symbols and images that were so, so beautiful, so vivid, and so familiar, from my childhood in Taiwan. All kinds of rituals I witnessed in street festivals and temples came flashing to life in my mind's eye, and M.H. Boroson has such depth of understanding that I felt my own culture, my own people, making sense to me in a new way.
I loved the first book so, so much, and but yet was unprepared for how much I would love this one. Boroson is an incredible storyteller. One scene had me anxious and terrified and then in one sentence I was shreiking with joy, I started laughing so hard I was crying. This kind of thing happened again and again, the emotions so profound and intense. Li-lin is THE BEST. There were some rough edges to her in the first book but it's like all the issues got fixed, and what remains is transcendent, GLORIOUS. Her relationship to her father kept me on a roller coaster throughout, and felt so real to me, and felt like my own father, like Li-lin I could never tell if he was a selfish jerk or a great and devoted man, and maybe he was both?
I knew exactly what Boroson was going for with the Ghost Yamen, even before I read about it in the notes. My culture has a grandeur and I'm supposed to feel connected with it through Chinese history and heritage, but I often don't feel that way, and there's a burden of expectation I place on myself when I look at ancient images of my ancestry and feel nothing by dejection, followed by alienation and shame. Aren't these supposed to be my people, why don't I feel the connection there? So the Ghost Yamen was just the PERFECT metaphor for exploring this gap between me and my heritage.
At the climax, something changes in the writing, I never saw that kind of change take place before, and I was disoriented at first but then I was in rapture. SO FULFILLING. Oh my god! Who do I need to kill to get this made into a movie?
I CANNOT WAIT for the next book! But please maybe don't take so long next time?
October 16, 2019
Let me preface this review by first talking about how much I loved the first in the series, The Girl with Ghost Eyes. I picked up that book the day it came out and fell in love with Li-lin and the slightly fantastical version of San Francisco's historical China Town that Boroson created. I've been eagerly awaiting a sequel every since. It was so worth the wait--the follow up in amazing.
Over and above everything, Li-lin is such a wonderful character. She's strong--not just in body but in spirit as well. She's a fighter in every respect--if she has self-doubts once in a while she always rolls up her sleeves and does what needs doing, even if that may not be in her own self-interests. She can be stubborn, and relentless in the pursuit of truth and what she feels is right. Sometimes (frequently) that gets her into trouble. But it's just one of the many reasons that her character is so easy to like.
One of the things I loved most about this sequel, is really getting to spend time with Li-lin and her father and seeing their relationship change throughout the story. They have such a fascinating dynamic and while I side with Li-lin when it comes to her father (I love Li-lin too much not to), Boroson does a great job of bringing some understanding to her father's perspective. Their relationship is fraught with arguing, in part, because they're so very much alike. (This hit very close to home for me! Fathers and their daughters is always going to be an interesting topic for me.)
There are many other interesting things that Boroson touches on here, even if it's only briefly. Such as how Chinese culture is not a monolith, cultural erasure, class-ism, racism, etc. These are topics that are brought up within the context of the story and it never feels like the author is trying to hit you over the head with a message, but they're definitely messages there if you choose to see them.
So much I could say about this book--the pacing is great, the plot is a nice little mystery that expands into more, the action is amazing (that one fight scene! and that other one!), I love that 'the gang' is back together here (tiger monk, oh how I love thee), the journey to the spirit realm was SUPER fun--but mainly I just want to scream about how much I loved this book, and the first one as well. If you haven't read this series yet, I highly encourage you to check it out. 5/5 stars.
Thanks much to the publisher and Edelweiss for providing a copy for review purposes, this did not affect the content of my review in any way.
Over and above everything, Li-lin is such a wonderful character. She's strong--not just in body but in spirit as well. She's a fighter in every respect--if she has self-doubts once in a while she always rolls up her sleeves and does what needs doing, even if that may not be in her own self-interests. She can be stubborn, and relentless in the pursuit of truth and what she feels is right. Sometimes (frequently) that gets her into trouble. But it's just one of the many reasons that her character is so easy to like.
One of the things I loved most about this sequel, is really getting to spend time with Li-lin and her father and seeing their relationship change throughout the story. They have such a fascinating dynamic and while I side with Li-lin when it comes to her father (I love Li-lin too much not to), Boroson does a great job of bringing some understanding to her father's perspective. Their relationship is fraught with arguing, in part, because they're so very much alike. (This hit very close to home for me! Fathers and their daughters is always going to be an interesting topic for me.)
There are many other interesting things that Boroson touches on here, even if it's only briefly. Such as how Chinese culture is not a monolith, cultural erasure, class-ism, racism, etc. These are topics that are brought up within the context of the story and it never feels like the author is trying to hit you over the head with a message, but they're definitely messages there if you choose to see them.
So much I could say about this book--the pacing is great, the plot is a nice little mystery that expands into more, the action is amazing (that one fight scene! and that other one!), I love that 'the gang' is back together here (tiger monk, oh how I love thee), the journey to the spirit realm was SUPER fun--but mainly I just want to scream about how much I loved this book, and the first one as well. If you haven't read this series yet, I highly encourage you to check it out. 5/5 stars.
Thanks much to the publisher and Edelweiss for providing a copy for review purposes, this did not affect the content of my review in any way.
October 15, 2019
Ahoy there mateys! While I try to post no spoilers, if ye haven’t read the first book in this series, the girl with ghost eyes, then ye might want to skip this post and go read the first book. Worth the read. If ye keep reading this log then ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .
I absolutely loved book one and have been avidly waiting for this sequel. The short story set in this world did briefly satisfy the craving but only until I finished reading it. So I was absolutely overjoyed to get an eArc of book two.
For those who haven’t heard of this series, it is a historical fiction fantasy set in Chinatown of San Francisco in the late 1890s. It deals with elements of Daoism, kung fu, monsters, magic, love, and Chinese folklore. The main character is Li-lin who is a Daoist priestess who can see the spirit world due to her “yin eyes.” She has to struggle with the social stigmas of her role in the spirit world, being an immigrant, being a girl in a male-dominated society, and the shame of being a widow. In the first book, Li-lin had to stop a sorcerer but the consequences to her livelihood and relationship with her father were rough.
In this book, Li-lin has been tasked to help solve the mystery of the death of a nine year-old who suffocated by flowers growing out of her nose and mouth. Armed with her peachwood sword, martial arts, burning paper talismans, and intelligence, she is determined to bring justice to the dead. Of course everything is always more complicated then it seems.
This book was so intense! This story certainly has plenty of action. But the real heart of this story is about the reflections on family as expressed by the relationship between Li-lin and her father. I was on an emotional rollercoaster experiencing the two of them trying to communicate and relate to one another. And that revelation at the end was heart-wrenching.
But I also had so much fun! Li-lin is such a fantastic character. She can be beset by guilt and loss and self-doubt. But her tenacity, intelligence, loyalty, bravery, and spunk make her one of the best characters I have read about. Li-lin continues to mature and find her place in society. I continue to love the spirit world and watching Li-lin practicing Daoism.
I can see the love and work put into this story. It be exquisite. As the author’s Goodreads bio says:
This book does capture those sentiments. I also loved the author’s note at the end. I didn’t want to start the book because I knew I would be sad when it was over. Once I did start, I couldn’t put it down and gobbled it up. And of course, I now want the next book in the series. The world needs more fantasy like these books. If ye haven’t started this series yet, what are ye lollygagging for? Arrrr!
So lastly . . .
Thank ye kindly Talos Press!
I absolutely loved book one and have been avidly waiting for this sequel. The short story set in this world did briefly satisfy the craving but only until I finished reading it. So I was absolutely overjoyed to get an eArc of book two.
For those who haven’t heard of this series, it is a historical fiction fantasy set in Chinatown of San Francisco in the late 1890s. It deals with elements of Daoism, kung fu, monsters, magic, love, and Chinese folklore. The main character is Li-lin who is a Daoist priestess who can see the spirit world due to her “yin eyes.” She has to struggle with the social stigmas of her role in the spirit world, being an immigrant, being a girl in a male-dominated society, and the shame of being a widow. In the first book, Li-lin had to stop a sorcerer but the consequences to her livelihood and relationship with her father were rough.
In this book, Li-lin has been tasked to help solve the mystery of the death of a nine year-old who suffocated by flowers growing out of her nose and mouth. Armed with her peachwood sword, martial arts, burning paper talismans, and intelligence, she is determined to bring justice to the dead. Of course everything is always more complicated then it seems.
This book was so intense! This story certainly has plenty of action. But the real heart of this story is about the reflections on family as expressed by the relationship between Li-lin and her father. I was on an emotional rollercoaster experiencing the two of them trying to communicate and relate to one another. And that revelation at the end was heart-wrenching.
But I also had so much fun! Li-lin is such a fantastic character. She can be beset by guilt and loss and self-doubt. But her tenacity, intelligence, loyalty, bravery, and spunk make her one of the best characters I have read about. Li-lin continues to mature and find her place in society. I continue to love the spirit world and watching Li-lin practicing Daoism.
I can see the love and work put into this story. It be exquisite. As the author’s Goodreads bio says:
One day he realized he could combine everything he loved: Chinese ghost lore, Buffy, kung fu movies, fantasy novels, history. He could write stories about Chinese magic and monsters, using these incredible cultural details as metaphors to dramatize the experiences of immigrants in America.
Stories told from inside the culture, centered on people whose lives had been treated as marginal. Stories inverting the margins, subverting stereotypes. Chinese American characters portrayed as three-dimensional, diverse human beings — facing challenges, earning a living, supporting families, struggling to hold on to traditional values in a new country. Exciting, action-packed stories that base their fantasy imagery in Chinese folklore, but tackle issues of vital importance in today’s world, like race, class, gender, culture, and power.
This book does capture those sentiments. I also loved the author’s note at the end. I didn’t want to start the book because I knew I would be sad when it was over. Once I did start, I couldn’t put it down and gobbled it up. And of course, I now want the next book in the series. The world needs more fantasy like these books. If ye haven’t started this series yet, what are ye lollygagging for? Arrrr!
So lastly . . .
Thank ye kindly Talos Press!
October 15, 2019
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Girl with No Face by M.H. Boroson is an absolutely brilliant sequel to The Girl with Ghost Eyes. I'm thrilled I was somehow approved for this via NetGalley since book is one of my favorites. Obviously, my expectations were incredibly high going into this sequel, but I shouldn't have worried because this novel was just about everything I could have wanted. Historical fantasy is one of my favorite genres and Boroson writes some of the best. His Daoshi Chronicles deserves all of the love and attention it can get. The author's characters are all so fantastic, but Li-lin is still one of the best leading ladies I've had the opportunity to get to know. She isn't perfect and she's had a rough way to go, but her resolve, hard work, and sense of loyalty give her a relatable strength regardless of the unusual abilities her yin eyes give her. Mr. Yanqiu, the spirit of her father's gouged out eye and Li-lin's friend, still totally manages to steal the show. Finally, I have to mention just how amazing the author's world-building skill are. You can tell he's done his research as he's integrated real world events into the magical world Li-lin finds herself right in the middle of. The setting feels just as much of a character as any member of the cast. Overall, I can't recommend The Girl with No Face (The Daoshi Chronicles #2) by M.H. Boroson enough. If you haven't started in on this series yet, what are you waiting for? If you're a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, Spirited Away, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, I have a feeling you'll love this series too. I'm dying for revisit this world in the future and I can't wait to read anything Boroson decides to write in the future.
The Girl with No Face by M.H. Boroson is an absolutely brilliant sequel to The Girl with Ghost Eyes. I'm thrilled I was somehow approved for this via NetGalley since book is one of my favorites. Obviously, my expectations were incredibly high going into this sequel, but I shouldn't have worried because this novel was just about everything I could have wanted. Historical fantasy is one of my favorite genres and Boroson writes some of the best. His Daoshi Chronicles deserves all of the love and attention it can get. The author's characters are all so fantastic, but Li-lin is still one of the best leading ladies I've had the opportunity to get to know. She isn't perfect and she's had a rough way to go, but her resolve, hard work, and sense of loyalty give her a relatable strength regardless of the unusual abilities her yin eyes give her. Mr. Yanqiu, the spirit of her father's gouged out eye and Li-lin's friend, still totally manages to steal the show. Finally, I have to mention just how amazing the author's world-building skill are. You can tell he's done his research as he's integrated real world events into the magical world Li-lin finds herself right in the middle of. The setting feels just as much of a character as any member of the cast. Overall, I can't recommend The Girl with No Face (The Daoshi Chronicles #2) by M.H. Boroson enough. If you haven't started in on this series yet, what are you waiting for? If you're a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, Spirited Away, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, I have a feeling you'll love this series too. I'm dying for revisit this world in the future and I can't wait to read anything Boroson decides to write in the future.
August 23, 2019
It’s been a while since we heard from M. H. Boroson, but his debut The Girl with the Ghost Eyes made such a strong impression that I had no issues jumping back into what is now a planned trilogy. His alternate universe San Francisco is a magical place, and I was beyond excited to resume the story of Li-lin, the girl able to see the spirit realm overlaid on the mortal world.
Li-lin may be that titular girl with ghost eyes from the first book, but she only metaphorically lacks a face in this second installment. Disowned in the first book for disobeying her father, she now works as a bodyguard and spiritual protector for one of Chinatown’s gangs. She is proud of her work and skilled at it, but she has been in a holding pattern since the events of the last book.
Your face is, obviously, what you show to the world. But it’s so much more than that. It’s your dignity, your credibility, your social standing. It’s even your history. Just as you can see a parent’s features passed down on a child’s face, you can reference a complex web of relationships when mentioning “face.” Conversely, to deny someone face is to hide them, shame them. A person with no face is a person with no place in the community.
This is why, when Li-lin encounters a girl who literally has no face (just a blank span of flesh), she feels compelled to act. Li-lin knows what’s it’s like to be denied face. As a woman in a patriarchal society, as a young person, and as a Chinese person in a racist and xenophobic nation, she chafes at the limitations and does not want another girl to suffer the same.
It’s not just the faceless girl who needs her, though. She’s sworn to protect not just her gang’s boss, but his little daughter as well. And then there’s the matter of a girl who was recently killed in a way she cannot begin to understand: strangled from the inside out by a strange flowering plant. In China, masters would guide disciples and parents would guide children to the answers, all of them in their right place. But in America, everything is topsy-turvy. Girls have no faces, no lineages, and some even have no families—the deceased girl is a paper wife. How can Li-lin be faithful to her cherished traditions and also fight for those who tradition has abandoned?
“Paper” relatives refer to people who were not related (or not closely related) except on paper; which is to say, on official government documents. In order to get around (racist, fear mongering) immigration policies, immigrants would claim to be parents, children, husbands, wives, and siblings of Chinese people already living in the country.
Here’s an important piece of history you might not have learned in school: Chinese immigrants were the first to be targeted by legislation limiting immigration from a specific ethnic group and nation. Chinese women were the first to be targeted: in 1875, America forbade any and all Chinese women from immigrating to the US. Then Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 forbade any immigration from China, and banned all Chinese immigrants already in the country from ever attaining citizenship. These racist and xenophobic policies were then compounded by other injustices at the state and local level in the form of additional taxation, quarantines, and harassment.
Just in case you thought this shit was new.
But let’s leave relevant political and historical parallels aside and get back to The Girl with No Face’s other excellent traits and insights. I can see the origins of some of the action in HK and Taiwanese cinema, but Boroson has a flair of his own. At one point, Li-Lin skewers one enemy and, without pausing to remove her sword from that enemy, goes right on to stab another. It’s over the top in the best way. It’s also fun. Grimdark is all very well, but it’s nice to read something that embraces the spectacular possibilities of the format and the story.
The battle sequences combine well with the magic, too. There are big, showy magics full of danger, and also small, subtle magics full of cleverness. And, not to be outdone, there are maneuverings that are not magic at all, just sound magic theory and legal reasoning based on Daoist principles. I wholeheartedly adore a good technicality. Legal argumentation, done right, can be just as thrilling and devastating as a physical or magical fight, and I'm glad to see Boroson is continuing to excel in this area as well.
The feminist threads of the story are powerful and affecting. Boroson clearly put as much thought into reflecting on Asian American women’s issues as he did into his Daosit research, and it shows. Li-lin has some powerful conversations with her father about the imbalanced nature of their relationship, but those conversations are tempered by love and respect. I think it would have been easy for this to turn into a preachy, black-and-white series of diatribes, but instead there’s nuance and care.
One particular sequence also really impressed me with its feminist critique of a fantasy trope I hate: the love potion. It’s not actually that common anymore, thankfully, but until The Girl with No Face I hadn’t seen too many takedowns of the idea. Li-lin, though, demolishes the idea that a love potion can be anything other than a circumvention of consent and a ruinous disrespect for someone’s personhood. When she is ensnared—but not fully caught—by a love spell, she pours all her spiritual and physical power into a bid for escape, never once dismissing the threat to her autonomy.
This scene reminded me of several points in Harry Potter that involve love potions. It was deeply uncomfortable even when Romilda secretly tried to force a love potion on Harry (despite being written with a slightly humorous tone), and downright criminal when Tom Riddle’s mother enslaved his father with repeated doses. The books are already a product of their time, the pre-#MeToo era, and it’s not my goal to further castigate Rowling. Rather, I want to point out how far we’ve come that love spells have gone from plot devices and jokes to objects of horror and catalysts for discussions about consent.
The ending feels a bit unearned on a purely narrative level. Emotionally, Li-Lin’s progress and that of many other characters makes complete sense. There’s a moving realization for both Li-lin and her father, a heartfelt release of trauma, and so on. But the mechanics of her final stratagem were not sufficiently explained or foreshadowed, making the ending feel a bit like a deus ex machina.
Still, that’s more of a quibble and not a full-blown complaint. The flaws in the ending don’t detract from my overall impression of the book, which is that it’s a worthy follow-up to The Girl with the Ghost Eyes and a wonderful adventure on its own terms.
Li-lin may be that titular girl with ghost eyes from the first book, but she only metaphorically lacks a face in this second installment. Disowned in the first book for disobeying her father, she now works as a bodyguard and spiritual protector for one of Chinatown’s gangs. She is proud of her work and skilled at it, but she has been in a holding pattern since the events of the last book.
Your face is, obviously, what you show to the world. But it’s so much more than that. It’s your dignity, your credibility, your social standing. It’s even your history. Just as you can see a parent’s features passed down on a child’s face, you can reference a complex web of relationships when mentioning “face.” Conversely, to deny someone face is to hide them, shame them. A person with no face is a person with no place in the community.
This is why, when Li-lin encounters a girl who literally has no face (just a blank span of flesh), she feels compelled to act. Li-lin knows what’s it’s like to be denied face. As a woman in a patriarchal society, as a young person, and as a Chinese person in a racist and xenophobic nation, she chafes at the limitations and does not want another girl to suffer the same.
It’s not just the faceless girl who needs her, though. She’s sworn to protect not just her gang’s boss, but his little daughter as well. And then there’s the matter of a girl who was recently killed in a way she cannot begin to understand: strangled from the inside out by a strange flowering plant. In China, masters would guide disciples and parents would guide children to the answers, all of them in their right place. But in America, everything is topsy-turvy. Girls have no faces, no lineages, and some even have no families—the deceased girl is a paper wife. How can Li-lin be faithful to her cherished traditions and also fight for those who tradition has abandoned?
“Paper” relatives refer to people who were not related (or not closely related) except on paper; which is to say, on official government documents. In order to get around (racist, fear mongering) immigration policies, immigrants would claim to be parents, children, husbands, wives, and siblings of Chinese people already living in the country.
Here’s an important piece of history you might not have learned in school: Chinese immigrants were the first to be targeted by legislation limiting immigration from a specific ethnic group and nation. Chinese women were the first to be targeted: in 1875, America forbade any and all Chinese women from immigrating to the US. Then Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 forbade any immigration from China, and banned all Chinese immigrants already in the country from ever attaining citizenship. These racist and xenophobic policies were then compounded by other injustices at the state and local level in the form of additional taxation, quarantines, and harassment.
Just in case you thought this shit was new.
But let’s leave relevant political and historical parallels aside and get back to The Girl with No Face’s other excellent traits and insights. I can see the origins of some of the action in HK and Taiwanese cinema, but Boroson has a flair of his own. At one point, Li-Lin skewers one enemy and, without pausing to remove her sword from that enemy, goes right on to stab another. It’s over the top in the best way. It’s also fun. Grimdark is all very well, but it’s nice to read something that embraces the spectacular possibilities of the format and the story.
The battle sequences combine well with the magic, too. There are big, showy magics full of danger, and also small, subtle magics full of cleverness. And, not to be outdone, there are maneuverings that are not magic at all, just sound magic theory and legal reasoning based on Daoist principles. I wholeheartedly adore a good technicality. Legal argumentation, done right, can be just as thrilling and devastating as a physical or magical fight, and I'm glad to see Boroson is continuing to excel in this area as well.
The feminist threads of the story are powerful and affecting. Boroson clearly put as much thought into reflecting on Asian American women’s issues as he did into his Daosit research, and it shows. Li-lin has some powerful conversations with her father about the imbalanced nature of their relationship, but those conversations are tempered by love and respect. I think it would have been easy for this to turn into a preachy, black-and-white series of diatribes, but instead there’s nuance and care.
One particular sequence also really impressed me with its feminist critique of a fantasy trope I hate: the love potion. It’s not actually that common anymore, thankfully, but until The Girl with No Face I hadn’t seen too many takedowns of the idea. Li-lin, though, demolishes the idea that a love potion can be anything other than a circumvention of consent and a ruinous disrespect for someone’s personhood. When she is ensnared—but not fully caught—by a love spell, she pours all her spiritual and physical power into a bid for escape, never once dismissing the threat to her autonomy.
This scene reminded me of several points in Harry Potter that involve love potions. It was deeply uncomfortable even when Romilda secretly tried to force a love potion on Harry (despite being written with a slightly humorous tone), and downright criminal when Tom Riddle’s mother enslaved his father with repeated doses. The books are already a product of their time, the pre-#MeToo era, and it’s not my goal to further castigate Rowling. Rather, I want to point out how far we’ve come that love spells have gone from plot devices and jokes to objects of horror and catalysts for discussions about consent.
The ending feels a bit unearned on a purely narrative level. Emotionally, Li-Lin’s progress and that of many other characters makes complete sense. There’s a moving realization for both Li-lin and her father, a heartfelt release of trauma, and so on. But the mechanics of her final stratagem were not sufficiently explained or foreshadowed, making the ending feel a bit like a deus ex machina.
Still, that’s more of a quibble and not a full-blown complaint. The flaws in the ending don’t detract from my overall impression of the book, which is that it’s a worthy follow-up to The Girl with the Ghost Eyes and a wonderful adventure on its own terms.
October 7, 2019
I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The nitty-gritty: A worthy follow-up to The Girl With Ghost Eyes , Boroson’s latest shines with magical imagery, sparkling and downright funny dialog, complex characters and an immensely satisfying plot, all framed by the rich history of Chinese immigrants in 1899 San Francisco. This story was a delight from start to finish.
This is probably the best fantasy series that no one is reading, and it breaks my heart to write those words. As a book blogger, I feel it’s my responsibility to help boost amazing books, and I’ll go to the ends of the earth to push this series on anyone I meet. True, Boroson is taking his sweet time between books (although I have no knowledge of the “behind the scenes” events involved in writing and publishing this second book in the series). The Girl With Ghost Eyes came out four long years ago, and I’ll admit I had forgotten some of the events that happened. But the minute I picked this up and started reading, I was transported back to Li-Lin’s magical world and the fascinating historical setting of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the late 1800s.
Li-Lin Xian is a Daoist priestess, skilled in both Kung Fu and the magical art of seeing into the spirit world. Trained by her father, a Daoist priest of the highest order, Li-Lin protects both the living and the dead, performing rituals to make sure the spirits of these dead get to the right places. One day, the body of a young girl named Anjing is brought to the deadhouse where Li-Lin works, which in itself isn’t unusual. But the circumstances of her death are. Flowers are growing out of the girl’s mouth, flowers that choked her to death. When Li-Lin tries to locate Anjing’s soul, she’s stunned to discover her soul is completely gone.
Li-Lin turns to her father for help, but their investigation only poses more mysteries. Where did this “vampire tree” come from and what does it mean? Who is the ghost girl without a face who Li-Lin finds when she’s looking for Anjing’s soul? And how are all these things connected? Li-Lin and her father, along with Li-Lin’s most trusted companions, set out on a thrilling adventure to find the truth.
There is nothing about this series that I don’t like, and so it’s hard to say which aspect was my favorite. But if pressed to choose, I’d have to say that it’s the characters that make these books so special. Li-Lin is simply a joy. She’s a young woman who has been through some pretty rough times. Her husband, the love of her life, is dead. Her murdered mother’s soul was trapped in Hell and tortured by a demon, until Li-Lin and her father managed to get her out. And Li-Lin herself has been in all kinds of trouble and danger, and working for a powerful Chinese gangster certainly doesn’t make her life any easier. But she’s a wonderfully strong girl whose strength comes from hard work. It’s believable strength, and it makes her much more likable and relatable than, say, a superhero character with unearned powers. Li-Lin’s Chinese heritage is the driving force in her life. She follows all the traditions that her father has taught her, and her love for her community is fierce. Loyalty, tradition, respect and honor. All these things are so important to her, and her relationships are shaped by them. She’s also fallible and makes lots of mistakes, and she’s self-aware enough to realize that she isn’t perfect.
In The Girl with no Face, Li-Lin and her father start off on very rocky terms. In the last book, Li-Lin ignored her father’s wishes and he ended up disowning her. Now, with the threat of the vampire tree and several other dire events, both of them understand that in order to win, they’ll need to work together. I loved seeing the progression of their relationship as her father goes from barely acknowledging her to taking her back under his wing.
Oh, there are so many wonderful characters in this story, and I just don’t have time to talk about all of them! But here are a few of my favorites: Mr. Yanqiu, the spirit of Li-Lin’s father’s eye, gouged out by him in the last book and sent into the spirit world to rescue his daughter. Now Mr. Yanqiu is Li-Lin’s steadfast friend, a little eyeball with arms and legs who travels in her pocket! Then there’s Shuai Hu, a man who can turn into a tiger and disguises himself as a Buddhist monk. And two Hell Guards, huge fighting beasts who guard the gates of Hell, one with the head of an ox, the other with the head of a horse. And finally, Mrs. Wei, a lonely woman with no children who yearns to have someone to whom she can pass on her knowledge and traditions. She and Li-Lin come to an understanding that was heartbreakingly perfect.
M.H. Boroson is, simply put, a master storyteller. His action scenes are impeccable and spaced out in such a way that the story never lags. There were two scenes in particular that have stuck with me since I finished the book and are probably two of the best scenes I’ve ever read in fiction. Without spoiling things, I’ll just mention what they were, and you will need to get the book and read them so we can gush over them together. One is a scene where Li-Lin nearly falls victim to a love spell, and the other is a hysterically funny scene at the end of the story where a monster challenges Li-Lin to a duel. In both cases, I gasped and laughed out loud, all the while wondering how Boroson could write such perfect scenes. If someone in Hollywood doesn’t snatch up the movie rights to these books, I’ll be so disappointed. This is some of the most cinematic writing you’ll ever read.
And of course, I can’t end this review without talking about the world building. Boroson mentions in his Acknowledgments that he spent ten years researching these books, and it shows. The Girl with no Face brims with elements of magical Chinese folklore, but it’s also grounded in real historical events. The author doesn’t shy away from the challenges and horrors of the immigrant experience. He includes such things as how the Chinese were used as slave labor to build the first California railroads, and the unique area in San Francisco called Chinatown, where immigrants live and flourish. But what most readers will remember are the magical moments: Li-Lin burning paper effigies of clothing to send to her husband Rocket in the spirit world; the wondrous Ghost yamen, a city built entirely of burnt paper offerings; the myriad of magical creatures that fill Li-Lin’s world; and the complicated rituals that Li-Lin and her father must go through in order to care for souls in the afterlife. Boroson’s world is endlessly fascinating, and I am actually very sad that I’ve finished this book.
But one of the best things I discovered upon finishing The Girl with no Face ? Boroson definitely isn’t finished with his story. Although this book wraps things up nicely at the end, we’re left with a couple of dangling questions that will hopefully be tackled in future installments. I WANT a story where Li-Lin and Rocket are together again, at least in some fashion. And dare I say Boroson ends this book with a suggestion that my wish might be granted?! There must be many more stories to tell about Li-Lin and her friends, and I can hardly wait to read them.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.
Read my review of The Girl with Ghost EyesThis review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy
A love spell is not a bouquet of flowers but a boot in your face, grinding its muddy heel.
The nitty-gritty: A worthy follow-up to The Girl With Ghost Eyes , Boroson’s latest shines with magical imagery, sparkling and downright funny dialog, complex characters and an immensely satisfying plot, all framed by the rich history of Chinese immigrants in 1899 San Francisco. This story was a delight from start to finish.
This is probably the best fantasy series that no one is reading, and it breaks my heart to write those words. As a book blogger, I feel it’s my responsibility to help boost amazing books, and I’ll go to the ends of the earth to push this series on anyone I meet. True, Boroson is taking his sweet time between books (although I have no knowledge of the “behind the scenes” events involved in writing and publishing this second book in the series). The Girl With Ghost Eyes came out four long years ago, and I’ll admit I had forgotten some of the events that happened. But the minute I picked this up and started reading, I was transported back to Li-Lin’s magical world and the fascinating historical setting of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the late 1800s.
Li-Lin Xian is a Daoist priestess, skilled in both Kung Fu and the magical art of seeing into the spirit world. Trained by her father, a Daoist priest of the highest order, Li-Lin protects both the living and the dead, performing rituals to make sure the spirits of these dead get to the right places. One day, the body of a young girl named Anjing is brought to the deadhouse where Li-Lin works, which in itself isn’t unusual. But the circumstances of her death are. Flowers are growing out of the girl’s mouth, flowers that choked her to death. When Li-Lin tries to locate Anjing’s soul, she’s stunned to discover her soul is completely gone.
Li-Lin turns to her father for help, but their investigation only poses more mysteries. Where did this “vampire tree” come from and what does it mean? Who is the ghost girl without a face who Li-Lin finds when she’s looking for Anjing’s soul? And how are all these things connected? Li-Lin and her father, along with Li-Lin’s most trusted companions, set out on a thrilling adventure to find the truth.
There is nothing about this series that I don’t like, and so it’s hard to say which aspect was my favorite. But if pressed to choose, I’d have to say that it’s the characters that make these books so special. Li-Lin is simply a joy. She’s a young woman who has been through some pretty rough times. Her husband, the love of her life, is dead. Her murdered mother’s soul was trapped in Hell and tortured by a demon, until Li-Lin and her father managed to get her out. And Li-Lin herself has been in all kinds of trouble and danger, and working for a powerful Chinese gangster certainly doesn’t make her life any easier. But she’s a wonderfully strong girl whose strength comes from hard work. It’s believable strength, and it makes her much more likable and relatable than, say, a superhero character with unearned powers. Li-Lin’s Chinese heritage is the driving force in her life. She follows all the traditions that her father has taught her, and her love for her community is fierce. Loyalty, tradition, respect and honor. All these things are so important to her, and her relationships are shaped by them. She’s also fallible and makes lots of mistakes, and she’s self-aware enough to realize that she isn’t perfect.
In The Girl with no Face, Li-Lin and her father start off on very rocky terms. In the last book, Li-Lin ignored her father’s wishes and he ended up disowning her. Now, with the threat of the vampire tree and several other dire events, both of them understand that in order to win, they’ll need to work together. I loved seeing the progression of their relationship as her father goes from barely acknowledging her to taking her back under his wing.
Oh, there are so many wonderful characters in this story, and I just don’t have time to talk about all of them! But here are a few of my favorites: Mr. Yanqiu, the spirit of Li-Lin’s father’s eye, gouged out by him in the last book and sent into the spirit world to rescue his daughter. Now Mr. Yanqiu is Li-Lin’s steadfast friend, a little eyeball with arms and legs who travels in her pocket! Then there’s Shuai Hu, a man who can turn into a tiger and disguises himself as a Buddhist monk. And two Hell Guards, huge fighting beasts who guard the gates of Hell, one with the head of an ox, the other with the head of a horse. And finally, Mrs. Wei, a lonely woman with no children who yearns to have someone to whom she can pass on her knowledge and traditions. She and Li-Lin come to an understanding that was heartbreakingly perfect.
M.H. Boroson is, simply put, a master storyteller. His action scenes are impeccable and spaced out in such a way that the story never lags. There were two scenes in particular that have stuck with me since I finished the book and are probably two of the best scenes I’ve ever read in fiction. Without spoiling things, I’ll just mention what they were, and you will need to get the book and read them so we can gush over them together. One is a scene where Li-Lin nearly falls victim to a love spell, and the other is a hysterically funny scene at the end of the story where a monster challenges Li-Lin to a duel. In both cases, I gasped and laughed out loud, all the while wondering how Boroson could write such perfect scenes. If someone in Hollywood doesn’t snatch up the movie rights to these books, I’ll be so disappointed. This is some of the most cinematic writing you’ll ever read.
And of course, I can’t end this review without talking about the world building. Boroson mentions in his Acknowledgments that he spent ten years researching these books, and it shows. The Girl with no Face brims with elements of magical Chinese folklore, but it’s also grounded in real historical events. The author doesn’t shy away from the challenges and horrors of the immigrant experience. He includes such things as how the Chinese were used as slave labor to build the first California railroads, and the unique area in San Francisco called Chinatown, where immigrants live and flourish. But what most readers will remember are the magical moments: Li-Lin burning paper effigies of clothing to send to her husband Rocket in the spirit world; the wondrous Ghost yamen, a city built entirely of burnt paper offerings; the myriad of magical creatures that fill Li-Lin’s world; and the complicated rituals that Li-Lin and her father must go through in order to care for souls in the afterlife. Boroson’s world is endlessly fascinating, and I am actually very sad that I’ve finished this book.
But one of the best things I discovered upon finishing The Girl with no Face ? Boroson definitely isn’t finished with his story. Although this book wraps things up nicely at the end, we’re left with a couple of dangling questions that will hopefully be tackled in future installments. I WANT a story where Li-Lin and Rocket are together again, at least in some fashion. And dare I say Boroson ends this book with a suggestion that my wish might be granted?! There must be many more stories to tell about Li-Lin and her friends, and I can hardly wait to read them.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.
Read my review of The Girl with Ghost EyesThis review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy
October 3, 2019
M.H. Boroson gives us a phenomenal sequel in The Girl with No Face. Returning to San Francisco’s Chinatown we once again follow Li-lin, picking up soon after the end of The Girl with Ghost Eyes. We’re treated to Boroson’s excellently researched depictions, a lovingly crafted world that excels at showing normal life for the beautiful thing it is.
There are a great many things to love in The Girl with No Face, and those things begin with the main character, Li-lin. Not only is she incredibly relatable, but she is a wonderful heroine in a world where women struggle to find agency. From her intelligence to her determination, from her love for the weak to her relationship with her father, Li-lin is a unique and engaging character. Boroson has given us a character that is both beautifully realized and also straight up awesome. This is made possible partly because of the way the author gives Li-lin a unique narrative voice and excels at giving an authentic depiction of the realities of life for Chinese immigrants in the late 1800s. In addition to the main character, the setting is also brilliantly realized. Boroson obviously has a great love and respect for the cultures and inspirations he is using in his stories, and it shows. He does an excellent job of dealing with the past authentically, but also from a modern perspective. Very well done. The setting is fantastic and magical. It sticks in your mind well after you’ve set down the novel. There are some scenes that are worthy of the finest animated classics. Against these beautifully described backdrops, the author also weaves together a tapestry of backstories for even side character that impact the plot in ways small and large, making each character far more than a set piece. Beyond all this, the magic continues to be fun and interesting. It provides a conduit that draws you deeply into the story. There is something truly otherworldly about the magic in this novel. It’s magical in the fullest sense of that word, allowing the reader to experience something beautiful.
There are few things to criticize in The Girl with No Face. There is a tendency to repeat full names in dialog. I believe this is a cultural element, and for that reason I don’t begrudge it, but it does make the dialog feel stilted at times. There must have been a way to achieve authenticity while allowing the dialog to feel more natural. Another element that could have benefited from some modification, in my opinion, was the end game. There were moments when it seemed to fly by perhaps too quickly, leaving at least one plot thread lacking resolution. The rest of the book is so strong that these criticisms were far from ruining my enjoyment. This is a tremendous novel.
The Girl with No Face is a sequel that improves on nearly everything its predecessor did well. It’s a phenomenal read that I can recommend without hesitation.
9/10
4.5/5 stars.
5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing
There are a great many things to love in The Girl with No Face, and those things begin with the main character, Li-lin. Not only is she incredibly relatable, but she is a wonderful heroine in a world where women struggle to find agency. From her intelligence to her determination, from her love for the weak to her relationship with her father, Li-lin is a unique and engaging character. Boroson has given us a character that is both beautifully realized and also straight up awesome. This is made possible partly because of the way the author gives Li-lin a unique narrative voice and excels at giving an authentic depiction of the realities of life for Chinese immigrants in the late 1800s. In addition to the main character, the setting is also brilliantly realized. Boroson obviously has a great love and respect for the cultures and inspirations he is using in his stories, and it shows. He does an excellent job of dealing with the past authentically, but also from a modern perspective. Very well done. The setting is fantastic and magical. It sticks in your mind well after you’ve set down the novel. There are some scenes that are worthy of the finest animated classics. Against these beautifully described backdrops, the author also weaves together a tapestry of backstories for even side character that impact the plot in ways small and large, making each character far more than a set piece. Beyond all this, the magic continues to be fun and interesting. It provides a conduit that draws you deeply into the story. There is something truly otherworldly about the magic in this novel. It’s magical in the fullest sense of that word, allowing the reader to experience something beautiful.
There are few things to criticize in The Girl with No Face. There is a tendency to repeat full names in dialog. I believe this is a cultural element, and for that reason I don’t begrudge it, but it does make the dialog feel stilted at times. There must have been a way to achieve authenticity while allowing the dialog to feel more natural. Another element that could have benefited from some modification, in my opinion, was the end game. There were moments when it seemed to fly by perhaps too quickly, leaving at least one plot thread lacking resolution. The rest of the book is so strong that these criticisms were far from ruining my enjoyment. This is a tremendous novel.
The Girl with No Face is a sequel that improves on nearly everything its predecessor did well. It’s a phenomenal read that I can recommend without hesitation.
9/10
4.5/5 stars.
5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing
October 26, 2019
I am breathless from ALL THE AWESOMENESS!!!
12 stars out of 5
Full review later
12 stars out of 5
Full review later
September 29, 2019
Have you ever read a book and then years later you remember liking it but couldn't remember why? That was how it was for me with the first book in the series, The Girl with Ghost Eyes. Fortunately, the writer does such a good job reminding me what happened that it was easy to dive in and be immersed in San Francisco's Chinatown at the end of the nineteenth century. The world building is well researched and there is many Chinese lore widens the world beyond Chinatown.
Lin-lin, a Daoist priestess who can see the ghost world, has to find the soul of a girl who died with flowers coming out of her mouth and nose. While she is looking, she encounters a paper ghost of a young girl with no face. This leads her to reunite with her father.
Lin-lin is smart and very quick but there are times when she's too smart and ends up hurting herself. She still has learning to do, something I'm looking forward to reading in the other books of the series.
Received from Netgalley for an honest review.
Lin-lin, a Daoist priestess who can see the ghost world, has to find the soul of a girl who died with flowers coming out of her mouth and nose. While she is looking, she encounters a paper ghost of a young girl with no face. This leads her to reunite with her father.
Lin-lin is smart and very quick but there are times when she's too smart and ends up hurting herself. She still has learning to do, something I'm looking forward to reading in the other books of the series.
Received from Netgalley for an honest review.
November 3, 2019
Dang these books are so fun. I want to re-read the first one now. I'm not really into kungfu movies so I'm surprised I like these books so much (and there are a few parts that are sort of, well, bloody). I think the main character is really likeable, and I enjoy hearing about all the wacky and interesting creatures. Mr. Yanqui is the best. And the writer actually really researches Eastern mythologies and religions. Apparently climbing the ladder of swords to become a priest or priestess is a real thing.
September 16, 2019
I haven't read book one of this series but I guess you don't have to. However, that being said I really want to go back and read book one because this one was really good. The cover to start out is just so breathtaking that I want a poster or a tattoo or something so I never forget about it. This was a very unique title with a great story. This book is teeming with well written characters and one amazing story. The world building jumps off the page and just everything comes together. That I need a print copy of this one ASAP! Don't let this one pass you by!
November 17, 2021
It took me a while to pick this book up but I wasn't disappointed.
This is the second book in a series so I'm gonna keep it spoiler free. But it comes with trigger warnings for some intense stuff. Expect unique and great world building with fantastic characters and action filled plot.
February 12, 2020
Once again Boroson combines the lore of ancient China with turn of the century California, beautifully. He takes it a step further in The Girl with No Face, by exploring the laws and politics of China’s spirit world on a new continent. Excellent!
February 3, 2021
ARC received via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Shame on me for taking nine eternities to get to this fantastic book's ARC.
I already enjoyed the first book in The Daoshi Chronicles, The Girl with Ghost Eyes , but I absolutely loved this one. Everything I enjoyed in the first one was distilled into action-packed wonderfulness here, and the slight issues I had were very clearly addressed and improved upon (like the lengthening of sentences and a bit more exposition and explanation for certain terms and concepts that were left out the first time round).
What impressed me most was Boroson's strong female MC. Writing a feminist book against the backdrop of the deeply patriarchal early-twentieth century Chinese culture can't be an easy feat, but I believe Boroson managed to write Li-lin's perspective with respect and nuance for that heritage and culture that in no way took away from her righteous feminist soul.
I also really loved the information in the back of the book, from the author's note detailing concepts and elements that form part of the story, to the recommended reading and movies and the story of how the author came to be so interested in Chinese culture. An author's passion for their subject matter always shines through in their writing, and this was no exception.
I'm really sad to be leaving Li-lin and her world, and I really hope the next story, hinted at in the last sentences, will be available soon.
Shame on me for taking nine eternities to get to this fantastic book's ARC.
I already enjoyed the first book in The Daoshi Chronicles, The Girl with Ghost Eyes , but I absolutely loved this one. Everything I enjoyed in the first one was distilled into action-packed wonderfulness here, and the slight issues I had were very clearly addressed and improved upon (like the lengthening of sentences and a bit more exposition and explanation for certain terms and concepts that were left out the first time round).
What impressed me most was Boroson's strong female MC. Writing a feminist book against the backdrop of the deeply patriarchal early-twentieth century Chinese culture can't be an easy feat, but I believe Boroson managed to write Li-lin's perspective with respect and nuance for that heritage and culture that in no way took away from her righteous feminist soul.
I also really loved the information in the back of the book, from the author's note detailing concepts and elements that form part of the story, to the recommended reading and movies and the story of how the author came to be so interested in Chinese culture. An author's passion for their subject matter always shines through in their writing, and this was no exception.
I'm really sad to be leaving Li-lin and her world, and I really hope the next story, hinted at in the last sentences, will be available soon.
April 17, 2021
3.5-3.75 Stars
Just like the previous installment, The Girl with Ghost Eyes, the setting was fabulous, and the narrative was mostly engrossing and action-packed. Unfortunately, not all the plot threads were addressed, which will presumably form the basis of the sequel. I was also not a fan of the romantic subplot but it was mild enough to ignore. I wish there had been more of Mr Yanqiu, who was the most adorable character ever. But I actually did enjoy the book and will definitely read the sequel (judging by the end, there should be one for sure).
Just like the previous installment, The Girl with Ghost Eyes, the setting was fabulous, and the narrative was mostly engrossing and action-packed. Unfortunately, not all the plot threads were addressed, which will presumably form the basis of the sequel. I was also not a fan of the romantic subplot but it was mild enough to ignore. I wish there had been more of Mr Yanqiu, who was the most adorable character ever. But I actually did enjoy the book and will definitely read the sequel (judging by the end, there should be one for sure).
April 17, 2021
Three and a half stars, rounded down for a meandering ending with too much of a building up a franchise feeling. This was more fun compared to the previous one, much less tong rationalization. In doing so it is probably packed with slightly more anachronisms, mainly in terms of the thought processes of the characters.
The eyeball is the best! I hate the tiger subplot though, it's annoying on so many levels...
Will continue with this series. It's a fast paced read.
The eyeball is the best! I hate the tiger subplot though, it's annoying on so many levels...
Will continue with this series. It's a fast paced read.
November 15, 2019
Great book! It continues the exploration of fantasy and mythology of an underrepresented tradition in the Western canon of fantasy literature. I enjoy the strong female protagonist as well.
November 14, 2019
Once again
Another beautiful written story. It empowers women and gives respect to the Asiam culture. Well done. Keep the stories coming.
Another beautiful written story. It empowers women and gives respect to the Asiam culture. Well done. Keep the stories coming.
February 6, 2020
Book 2 of the Daoshi Chronicles. Set in San Francisco at the end of the XIX century it combines the life and mythos of Chinatown and its inhabitants.
Quite entertaining and a good follow up to the first book. Looking forward to the next book.
Quite entertaining and a good follow up to the first book. Looking forward to the next book.
February 20, 2020
I continue to adore this series. Li-Lin is such a wonderful character. I love her friendship with Mr. Yanqiu <3 It highlights the importance of having someone to witness your life without judgement. The complicated feminism of the first book becomes even more complicated in this sequel as Li-Lin’s relationship with her father evolves and we learn more about how he sees her. I love how she is so strong in such an unconventional way. I’m glad I went back to re-read Ghost Eyes in preparation for reading No Face because it was just as good the second time around. I look forward to the third book in the series and in the meantime I’ll be busy convincing all my friends to read these books!
January 13, 2020
I really love the girl with the ghost eyes and the girl with no face doesn't disappoint. It's an amazing story about culture, family and female strength.
The world feels wonderful, strange and beautiful, the book is very well written. And since my last visit to China I enjoyed the story a lot, because it gave me some new perspective.
While reading this I have been on the edge of my seat, often wonder how the protagonist will be able to get out of this one.
A great read. So far the best I have read in 2020 and probably in 2019 as well.
The world feels wonderful, strange and beautiful, the book is very well written. And since my last visit to China I enjoyed the story a lot, because it gave me some new perspective.
While reading this I have been on the edge of my seat, often wonder how the protagonist will be able to get out of this one.
A great read. So far the best I have read in 2020 and probably in 2019 as well.
November 24, 2019
Historical fantasy novel with a lot of action! As in the first novel, the fast paced enjoyable fantasy plot does not diminish the sense of the author's respect for and fascination with the cultural source material.
October 11, 2020
I wish I could give this a nuanced review but all I can focus on is what a god damn himbo the love interest is. Like the man literally does not know how to use silverware and yet they’re constantly describing how muscular and powerful and brawny he is. At one point he suggests that the protagonist should kill him and decides he needs to get topless for this, as if a sword that can gut him can’t cut through fabric. He tries to tell her he doesn’t want to see her while grinning because he’s so happy to see her. What an idiot I love him.
Anyway I’ve been team tiger spirit from the first moment he appeared in book one and I still am, awaiting a 3rd book in this series where, I am confident, Li-Lin will finally get the dumb and supportive beefcake she deserves.
Anyway I’ve been team tiger spirit from the first moment he appeared in book one and I still am, awaiting a 3rd book in this series where, I am confident, Li-Lin will finally get the dumb and supportive beefcake she deserves.
November 11, 2019
Looking back on my review of Book One of this series, I see that I made the same mistake as I did with this one. I gobbled it up in one day. This book is every bit as enthralling as The Girl with Ghost Eyes. M. H. Boroson melds the ancient Chinese folklore that I love so much with the harsh realities of life for Chinese immigrants in Gold Mountain in the nineteenth century and then adds a whopping and tasty dose of action, historical color, and hair-raising fantasy. I want more of this series, and I really don't want to wait three more years for it. Please, can I have some more just a little faster?
February 23, 2020
Another incredible story!!!!! Cannot WAIT for book 3!!!!!!
Just awesome on so many levels, to keep it extremely brief. Need to read book one, "The Girl With Ghost Eyes" to fully appreciate this second book. Book doesn't end on a cliff-hanger, but Please hurry up and get book three out for us to devour!!!
Just awesome on so many levels, to keep it extremely brief. Need to read book one, "The Girl With Ghost Eyes" to fully appreciate this second book. Book doesn't end on a cliff-hanger, but Please hurry up and get book three out for us to devour!!!
November 11, 2019
Really excellent book. "The Girl With No Face" takes place in a very different world than the usual urban fantasy with a deep dive into Chinese superstition in turn-of-the-century San Francisco. There are feminist undertones from the heroine, an idealistic young Daoist magician and martial artist, including a memorable take on love spells. You will get more from it if you read "The Girl With Ghost Eyes" first (not a hardship - also excellent) which introduced us to everyone. I hope there are more books on the way.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews