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The Glint of the Luopan
Lai Fang, a Chinese native living in New York, is working to recover her lost memory and find her father. Along the way, she finds herself in the arms of the mysterious Suresh who supports her search in unconventional ways.
Guided by a Luopan, scattered remnants of recollections, technology, and a little magic, Lai Fang desperately clings to what she hopes will be the path to her truth. However, what if the truth lies far beyond the scope of human comprehension? What is the truth to begin with?
The Glint of the Luopan weaves a mesmerizing web of a world that begins as a dream and unfolds in a journey for family, hope, and love.
Guided by a Luopan, scattered remnants of recollections, technology, and a little magic, Lai Fang desperately clings to what she hopes will be the path to her truth. However, what if the truth lies far beyond the scope of human comprehension? What is the truth to begin with?
The Glint of the Luopan weaves a mesmerizing web of a world that begins as a dream and unfolds in a journey for family, hope, and love.
- GenresFantasy
238 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 11, 2022
9 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 11, 2023
This is a very good debut book!
I enjoyed it because the concept is very interesting where the main character forgets about all of her past and it makes me very intrigue and curious about the story.
Although I didn't really connect with all of the characters and the beginning was very slow, as a slow paced story lover I must admit that I was a bit bored at the beginning which is unusual since I like slow beginning. I guess it's because it's waay too slow. But anyways, it's still enjoyable as I read it because it gets more and more fast paced and connected to all of the plots.
For urban fantasy, wholesome romance, and unique magic system readers, I recommending this novel for you. And I think it's also perfect for fantasy beginners.
Thank you for Sally Feng for the e-ARC 🖤
I enjoyed it because the concept is very interesting where the main character forgets about all of her past and it makes me very intrigue and curious about the story.
Although I didn't really connect with all of the characters and the beginning was very slow, as a slow paced story lover I must admit that I was a bit bored at the beginning which is unusual since I like slow beginning. I guess it's because it's waay too slow. But anyways, it's still enjoyable as I read it because it gets more and more fast paced and connected to all of the plots.
For urban fantasy, wholesome romance, and unique magic system readers, I recommending this novel for you. And I think it's also perfect for fantasy beginners.
Thank you for Sally Feng for the e-ARC 🖤
December 7, 2022
This is an urban fantasy story following Lai Yang, a New Yorker who is working to recovery lost memories and find her missing father.
The start of the book is a bit slow, but I found it enjoyable and well written. The first half of the book lacked fantasy elements, but told a great romance story focusing on two characters coming out of their shells. Despite the pacing, it was done well, and was a good way of introducing us to our MC.
About half way through, there is a major twist. While it was done well, I was suspicious of it happening, so the shock element didn't hit home for me. After the twist, we are thrown into a fast paced story loaded with fantastical elements. The setting goes from New York to Beijing, and we are giving lots of looks at Chinese history and culture, and it ties in quite well to the magic system.
I found the world building was done well, and the plot was well developed and unique. This isn't a long book, so it is a bit difficult to discuss plot elements without risking spoilers. If the book was longer, certain elements could have been developed more, but I do also have to applaud the author for keeping the story quick, concise, and satisfying.
The writing was something I enjoyed. Easy to get into yet adequately descriptive, it suited the story really well.
My biggest issue with the story was that it felt a little disjointed. The first 140 pages read like this slow burn romance where we got a wholesome, introspective look at the characters. After the twist, the book takes a complete different turn and we are thrown into this rip roaring urban fantasy story. I enjoyed the book, but sadly didn't connect with Lai or any other characters, so the change of direction was a bit difficult for me.
Overall, this was a strong debut and it's always nice to get fantasy stories in unique settings. What the author did with the worldbuilding was fantastic, and I hope the sequel continues to build up the Chinese world we got to see.
The start of the book is a bit slow, but I found it enjoyable and well written. The first half of the book lacked fantasy elements, but told a great romance story focusing on two characters coming out of their shells. Despite the pacing, it was done well, and was a good way of introducing us to our MC.
About half way through, there is a major twist. While it was done well, I was suspicious of it happening, so the shock element didn't hit home for me. After the twist, we are thrown into a fast paced story loaded with fantastical elements. The setting goes from New York to Beijing, and we are giving lots of looks at Chinese history and culture, and it ties in quite well to the magic system.
I found the world building was done well, and the plot was well developed and unique. This isn't a long book, so it is a bit difficult to discuss plot elements without risking spoilers. If the book was longer, certain elements could have been developed more, but I do also have to applaud the author for keeping the story quick, concise, and satisfying.
The writing was something I enjoyed. Easy to get into yet adequately descriptive, it suited the story really well.
My biggest issue with the story was that it felt a little disjointed. The first 140 pages read like this slow burn romance where we got a wholesome, introspective look at the characters. After the twist, the book takes a complete different turn and we are thrown into this rip roaring urban fantasy story. I enjoyed the book, but sadly didn't connect with Lai or any other characters, so the change of direction was a bit difficult for me.
Overall, this was a strong debut and it's always nice to get fantasy stories in unique settings. What the author did with the worldbuilding was fantastic, and I hope the sequel continues to build up the Chinese world we got to see.
November 11, 2022
"Lai Fang, a Chinese native living in New York, is working to recover her lost memory and find her father. Along the way, she finds herself in the arms of the mysterious Suresh who supports her search in unconventional ways.
Guided by a Luopan, scattered remnants of recollections, technology, and a little magic, Lai Fang desperately clings to what she hopes will be the path to her truth. However, what if the truth lies far beyond the scope of human comprehension? What is the truth to begin with?"
I really enjoyed reading this. A bit of romance in the beginning, then the novel is really picking up speed. There's a sudden twist in the middle, and then things get really weird :)
The text flows very well, images are used sparingly but purposefully. It has a good rhythm and shows that the author has mastered her craft.
Overall a 4-star reading experience.
Guided by a Luopan, scattered remnants of recollections, technology, and a little magic, Lai Fang desperately clings to what she hopes will be the path to her truth. However, what if the truth lies far beyond the scope of human comprehension? What is the truth to begin with?"
I really enjoyed reading this. A bit of romance in the beginning, then the novel is really picking up speed. There's a sudden twist in the middle, and then things get really weird :)
The text flows very well, images are used sparingly but purposefully. It has a good rhythm and shows that the author has mastered her craft.
Overall a 4-star reading experience.
December 22, 2022
I actually give THE GLINT OF LUOPAN 3 1/2 stars. This book has wonderful descriptions of New York and Beijing. The author uses a diary for the main character's (Lai Fang') back story in every other chapter, which I thought was smart. On top of that, she also does a wonderful job explaining Chinese expressions and culture within the story. I like how she uses Chinese characters alongside an English translation for these expressions. This helps us non-native speakers understand how complex the Chinese, or Mandarin, language can be and why their parables and proverbs sometimes sound odd in English.
I'm an action-packed gal and like to jump right into the weird, mystical, and secret world immediately when reading these types of books. The author instead began the book on a date with another character, Suresh (who is important to the story), and developed their romantic relationship. While I understand the importance of this I also felt this could have been intermingled with the main character discovering the Luopan and her abilities. This would have satisfied my eagerness to jump into the plot and hero's journey.
Overall, if you like espionage with mystical elements intertwined then you'll enjoy THE GLINT OF THE LUOPAN. Find out more by going to my post and enter the giveaway which ends 12/27/22: https://kimberlybartosch.wixsite.com/...
I'm an action-packed gal and like to jump right into the weird, mystical, and secret world immediately when reading these types of books. The author instead began the book on a date with another character, Suresh (who is important to the story), and developed their romantic relationship. While I understand the importance of this I also felt this could have been intermingled with the main character discovering the Luopan and her abilities. This would have satisfied my eagerness to jump into the plot and hero's journey.
Overall, if you like espionage with mystical elements intertwined then you'll enjoy THE GLINT OF THE LUOPAN. Find out more by going to my post and enter the giveaway which ends 12/27/22: https://kimberlybartosch.wixsite.com/...
March 2, 2023
Firstly, thanks to @sally_feng_writer for sending me a copy of their debut novel , The Glint of the Luopan.
This was a relatively short read, that tells the tale of Lai Fang , a Chinese woman living in New York, who is thriving to piece together remnants of a forgotten past and find her missing father. The book toes the line between romance, fantasy and sci Fi in a setting heavily inspired by Chinese practices, history and religion.
This is a book of two parts in many ways , the first half is very heavy on the romance. And while this isn't a theme I generally tend to go for, I felt there was a real connection to the characters , relatable and well written, with a dash of wholesomeness along with the intrigue. I did stretch on a little bit more than I would like , but around the halfway mark the book takes a sharp turn and the story splits off in a vastly different direction.
The themes in this book were very interesting , the supporting characters were interesting , some more than others . The elements of fantasy, magic, and the world beyond okay out much like a dream sequence in the latter half, it's a unique take, one which I enjoyed stepping outside my comfort zone for.
Overall this was a very solid debut from Feng , I'll be keeping an eye out on what comes next, if you're interested in asian inspired novels , I'd suggest checking this one out
This was a relatively short read, that tells the tale of Lai Fang , a Chinese woman living in New York, who is thriving to piece together remnants of a forgotten past and find her missing father. The book toes the line between romance, fantasy and sci Fi in a setting heavily inspired by Chinese practices, history and religion.
This is a book of two parts in many ways , the first half is very heavy on the romance. And while this isn't a theme I generally tend to go for, I felt there was a real connection to the characters , relatable and well written, with a dash of wholesomeness along with the intrigue. I did stretch on a little bit more than I would like , but around the halfway mark the book takes a sharp turn and the story splits off in a vastly different direction.
The themes in this book were very interesting , the supporting characters were interesting , some more than others . The elements of fantasy, magic, and the world beyond okay out much like a dream sequence in the latter half, it's a unique take, one which I enjoyed stepping outside my comfort zone for.
Overall this was a very solid debut from Feng , I'll be keeping an eye out on what comes next, if you're interested in asian inspired novels , I'd suggest checking this one out
December 31, 2025
3 ⭐ CW: death of a parent mention, memory loss, psychedelics
The Glint of the Luopan by Sally Feng is a standalone fantasy based on Chinese Feng Sui and Daoism. I received an arc of this book a couple years ago from the author, and just now got around to it. This was okay. It was a short read that was perfect for squeezing in before the end of the year.
We follow Lai Fang, a Chinese girl in NYC who is dealing with memory loss. We follow her journey in finding her father who has been missing for years. She starts dating a man named Suresh, who is eager to help her find him. She realizes too late that Suresh isn't what he seems, and she is plunged into a world with paranormal abilities, dream magic, tulpas, and more.
This was a bit of a slow mover. It took a while for things to build up, and then suddenly things are happening, and then it's over. The idea of the sky cities, dreams, and water portals were interesting, but I wish the magic and the world had been more fleshed out. The ending seemed so abrupt. I felt like we didn't really get any closure, and the antagonist really didn't go anywhere. I felt like this needed to be longer or there needed to be a sequel for us to learn more about the Academy and the sky cities. There was an attempt at pulling in geopolitics and Chinese politics, but it was brief and surface level.
The Glint of the Luopan by Sally Feng is a standalone fantasy based on Chinese Feng Sui and Daoism. I received an arc of this book a couple years ago from the author, and just now got around to it. This was okay. It was a short read that was perfect for squeezing in before the end of the year.
We follow Lai Fang, a Chinese girl in NYC who is dealing with memory loss. We follow her journey in finding her father who has been missing for years. She starts dating a man named Suresh, who is eager to help her find him. She realizes too late that Suresh isn't what he seems, and she is plunged into a world with paranormal abilities, dream magic, tulpas, and more.
This was a bit of a slow mover. It took a while for things to build up, and then suddenly things are happening, and then it's over. The idea of the sky cities, dreams, and water portals were interesting, but I wish the magic and the world had been more fleshed out. The ending seemed so abrupt. I felt like we didn't really get any closure, and the antagonist really didn't go anywhere. I felt like this needed to be longer or there needed to be a sequel for us to learn more about the Academy and the sky cities. There was an attempt at pulling in geopolitics and Chinese politics, but it was brief and surface level.
January 10, 2023
We follow Lai Fang in New York who is suffering from memory loss. She meets Suresh and instantly felt connected with him. Lai Fang reveals her history or rather the lack of it. Suresh tries to help her and through this journey, we get know more about Lai Fang’s past and the hidden world within our world. You’ll learn more about Daoism, the use of the Luopan (geomagnetic compass used in Feng Shui) and makes you wonder what the endless possibilities powered by our mind.
The book is divided into 2 parts, the first part in New York, while the next in Beijing. Though the first part was rather slow, it gradually paces fast all through the end. There were so many concepts at once. Things I wouldn’t even dare to think about, all from powers of the mind, to mind bending concepts of physics and space and to how powerful dreams can be are in this book. I liked how these were woven in to the different conspiracies existing today.
I was not expecting any all of this and I’m suspecting there must be a sequel.
If you like a refreshing new take on sci-fi fantasy/urban fantasy with Chinese influence, with portals and sky cities, lovers-to-enemies romance, as well found-family trope, then try this book!
The book is divided into 2 parts, the first part in New York, while the next in Beijing. Though the first part was rather slow, it gradually paces fast all through the end. There were so many concepts at once. Things I wouldn’t even dare to think about, all from powers of the mind, to mind bending concepts of physics and space and to how powerful dreams can be are in this book. I liked how these were woven in to the different conspiracies existing today.
I was not expecting any all of this and I’m suspecting there must be a sequel.
If you like a refreshing new take on sci-fi fantasy/urban fantasy with Chinese influence, with portals and sky cities, lovers-to-enemies romance, as well found-family trope, then try this book!
November 26, 2022
This was a very slow start, for me, but then, halfway through it really picked up and it was fast fast fast to the end. I really liked the whole mythology of this world and how it ties to Daoism, the I Ching, the powers the human mind can have and that haven't yet been tapped into, this was very interesting. There was a lot that went unexplained or became slightly confusing, but I got the impression this is the first book in a series, so I presume it will all become clear and make sense, eventually.
The writing style is not my cup of tea, as it's too 'telling' for my preferences, I rather like more of a 'showing' kind of exposition. The characters mystified me, especially the MC - the way she mistakes glaring abuse with someone being cute and sweet kept driving me crazy, as did her insistence on ignoring every single red flag that was thrown her way. How she still managed to dive straight in and trust people who she herself noted were acting funny, after everything she went through, is something I couldn't understand, nor relate.
Interesting fantasy worldbuilding, interesting premise, but not my favourite writing style.
The writing style is not my cup of tea, as it's too 'telling' for my preferences, I rather like more of a 'showing' kind of exposition. The characters mystified me, especially the MC - the way she mistakes glaring abuse with someone being cute and sweet kept driving me crazy, as did her insistence on ignoring every single red flag that was thrown her way. How she still managed to dive straight in and trust people who she herself noted were acting funny, after everything she went through, is something I couldn't understand, nor relate.
Interesting fantasy worldbuilding, interesting premise, but not my favourite writing style.
December 11, 2022
This story follows Lai Fang who cannot remember her past and has missing memories and sets out to remember her memories and also find her father who seems to be missing. This investigation leads to more mysteries, secrets and what seems like conspiracy theories and basically leads Lai to something she had no idea to expect that her father was involved in.
This story was trippy for me 😂 It has a slow start, so it builds up slowly to a climax that just has so much happen! It was a great buildup with me trying to figure out what’s going on and I loved it!
I really liked Lai, especially when she seemed to be just so calm about everything! No matter what was thrown at her, she just took with stride and just dealt with it. It was refreshing to read a character that was not overly dramatic about everything 😅
A few of the side characters were great too, like Suresh and the villain…the villain is great 🙌🏻 I enjoyed that character so much!
This story had a lot of interesting and different elements to it, such as magical realism, mystery, conspiracy theories, dreams, and even a bit of romance. It certainly kept me on my toes! I recommend this one for anyone! 4/5 ⭐️
I received a free digital copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This story was trippy for me 😂 It has a slow start, so it builds up slowly to a climax that just has so much happen! It was a great buildup with me trying to figure out what’s going on and I loved it!
I really liked Lai, especially when she seemed to be just so calm about everything! No matter what was thrown at her, she just took with stride and just dealt with it. It was refreshing to read a character that was not overly dramatic about everything 😅
A few of the side characters were great too, like Suresh and the villain…the villain is great 🙌🏻 I enjoyed that character so much!
This story had a lot of interesting and different elements to it, such as magical realism, mystery, conspiracy theories, dreams, and even a bit of romance. It certainly kept me on my toes! I recommend this one for anyone! 4/5 ⭐️
I received a free digital copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 28, 2022
What if your dreams were someone else's reality?
This story takes you into a world where dreams are more than just fleeting nighttime visions.
Lai Fang is a young woman living in New York, trying to find her missing father and trying to recover her missing memories. She meets the handsome Suresh, who is very eager to help her, and romance blossoms. Suresh's method, LSD trips, do give Lai glimpses into her past, but lines start to blur and she wonders if he's helping her or himself.
Suddenly questioning Suresh and his methods, Lai escapes to Beijing, but only finds herself deeper in the mystery of her past with more questions and no answers. Is her father, if she can find him, the secret to unraveling them? Lai's willing to do whatever it takes to find him, and find out, but it won't be easy, or safe. And the memories she does have, are at risk of being lost as well.
I loved the fresh magical take on travel in this story and sharing the feeling of being in a dream with Lai and trying to find your way out. A magical story.
This story takes you into a world where dreams are more than just fleeting nighttime visions.
Lai Fang is a young woman living in New York, trying to find her missing father and trying to recover her missing memories. She meets the handsome Suresh, who is very eager to help her, and romance blossoms. Suresh's method, LSD trips, do give Lai glimpses into her past, but lines start to blur and she wonders if he's helping her or himself.
Suddenly questioning Suresh and his methods, Lai escapes to Beijing, but only finds herself deeper in the mystery of her past with more questions and no answers. Is her father, if she can find him, the secret to unraveling them? Lai's willing to do whatever it takes to find him, and find out, but it won't be easy, or safe. And the memories she does have, are at risk of being lost as well.
I loved the fresh magical take on travel in this story and sharing the feeling of being in a dream with Lai and trying to find your way out. A magical story.
November 17, 2022
I was lucky enough to get the chance to be an ARC reader in exchange for an honest review - I'm sorry that it took me a little while to finish reading to give my review.
For me personally I found it a bit of a slow to start book, but once it got going I enjoyed the story. I liked the romance at the start, and how Lai was getting her memories back, I was not expecting that plot twist though - i wont explain as ill end up spoiling things! But that did catch me a bit off guard
Overall I liked the world building it was quite an interesting concept. I liked the Chinese fantasy and daoism link, the portal methods using the luopan, it was a pretty cool plot.
I will admit that i did struggle to get into the book at the start but I'm glad I carried on reading it. I think it has the possibility for further books to make it into a series, where we can further explore the world a bit more ? 😀
For me personally I found it a bit of a slow to start book, but once it got going I enjoyed the story. I liked the romance at the start, and how Lai was getting her memories back, I was not expecting that plot twist though - i wont explain as ill end up spoiling things! But that did catch me a bit off guard
Overall I liked the world building it was quite an interesting concept. I liked the Chinese fantasy and daoism link, the portal methods using the luopan, it was a pretty cool plot.
I will admit that i did struggle to get into the book at the start but I'm glad I carried on reading it. I think it has the possibility for further books to make it into a series, where we can further explore the world a bit more ? 😀
December 21, 2022
Book Review, book 84 of 2022
'The Glint of the Luopan' 💫
“If above is like below, you might look no further than in front of you.”
Sally Feng’s first novel The Glint of the Luopan, was made available in November 2022. The novel is an Urban Fantasy narrative, following a journey through Daoist concepts and a fascinating speculative future set in post pandemic times. The novel spends much of its time confronting concepts of identity, mythological meanings and transcending the traditional concepts of being ‘alive.’ Feng explores the paranormal, the abnormal and the unacknowledged. What starts as an almost typical boy-meets girl romance, turns into an explosive journey to the City in the Sky.
Full Review coming on @thefantasyhive
'The Glint of the Luopan' 💫
“If above is like below, you might look no further than in front of you.”
Sally Feng’s first novel The Glint of the Luopan, was made available in November 2022. The novel is an Urban Fantasy narrative, following a journey through Daoist concepts and a fascinating speculative future set in post pandemic times. The novel spends much of its time confronting concepts of identity, mythological meanings and transcending the traditional concepts of being ‘alive.’ Feng explores the paranormal, the abnormal and the unacknowledged. What starts as an almost typical boy-meets girl romance, turns into an explosive journey to the City in the Sky.
Full Review coming on @thefantasyhive
January 1, 2023
This was a fascinating fantasy book charting Lai Fang’s search for her father and the truth behind his disappearance. In some ways it verges into science-fiction, and has something of the Philip K Dick about it - at least that’s what I think—parts of it play with reality and the possibility of meeting oneself in various forms of our development. The story was engrossing with its twists and turns, taking the reader on a journey into dreams and across continents. The prose is excellent as are the creative aspects of the novel, which draw the reader in and holds them. Chinese culture is incorporated into a very well old novel and thought-provoking novel.
January 15, 2023
Sally Feng, the author of Glint of the Luopan, reached out to me to read her new novel since she saw that I like speculative fiction. I rarely decide to read books sent straight from the author but every once in a while one sparks my interest, like this one! Please note - for me, 3 stars means i likes the book! I reserve 4 and 5 stars for my absolute favorite books of the year.
The idea of a girl searching for her past, and magic done with dreams to build cities in the sky as well as portals to the dream plane was pretty intriguing to me.
The beginning had me wondering what was going on, as the main character is suffering from amnesia and her plans and motivations were very confusing to me at first, and I also didn't like the main love interest so I had a little trouble pushing through, but I'm glad that I did. The second half of the book really brought the story together and jumped into a fascinating and quick moving plot that had me burning through the pages to find out what happened at the end. The concepts throughout the book were unique and thought-provoking. Thanks Sally for the opportunity to read it, and kudos on finishing your novel!
#GlintOfTheLuopan
The idea of a girl searching for her past, and magic done with dreams to build cities in the sky as well as portals to the dream plane was pretty intriguing to me.
The beginning had me wondering what was going on, as the main character is suffering from amnesia and her plans and motivations were very confusing to me at first, and I also didn't like the main love interest so I had a little trouble pushing through, but I'm glad that I did. The second half of the book really brought the story together and jumped into a fascinating and quick moving plot that had me burning through the pages to find out what happened at the end. The concepts throughout the book were unique and thought-provoking. Thanks Sally for the opportunity to read it, and kudos on finishing your novel!
#GlintOfTheLuopan
December 31, 2022
This is an Asian portal fantasy which centres around Lai Fang as she tries to uncover the truth behind her fathers disappearance and recover her own memories. The first half of this book is set in New York and follows Lai Feng in a new relationship that appears to lead her to the answers she has been looking for and the second half is where the magic starts to unfold in Beijing. I really enjoyed the portal fantasy aspect of this book it was really unique and I loved learning about the Luopan and its history as well as seeing how it was developed for this magic system. I also liked the half and half split between New York and Beijing. In New York we learn alot about Lai and see her on an interesting journey of self discovery as she tries to recover her missing memories, I wasn't a big fan of the romance from the get go but this was justified in the end. In Beijing we see Lai come into her own and adapt to the new world she has discovered whilst seeing the mystery plot unfold alongside learning about the magic system. In general this was a fun, quick and interesting read and a strong debut.
I was sent this book by the author, this is an honest review.
I was sent this book by the author, this is an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews