Fantasy

The Fox Wife

The Fox Wife

  • Downloads：8246
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2024-01-07 07:22:11
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Yangsze Choo
  • ISBN：1250329507
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

Cecil ，

Rounded up from 3。5 because， although not my kind of book， I thought it was very well-written。

Rachel Rooney ，

I was lucky enough to receive a free advanced listening copy of this book through libro。fm， and I loved it！ Set in 1908 Manchuria， Choo combines folktale and historical fiction to present an intriguing story about a detective with an uncanny ability to detect lies who is commissioned to find the wife-to-be of a wealthy man and bring her back and a fox woman in pursuit of the man who killed her daughter。 The result is enchanting。 I listened to the audiobook， which is read by the author， and I thi I was lucky enough to receive a free advanced listening copy of this book through libro。fm， and I loved it！ Set in 1908 Manchuria， Choo combines folktale and historical fiction to present an intriguing story about a detective with an uncanny ability to detect lies who is commissioned to find the wife-to-be of a wealthy man and bring her back and a fox woman in pursuit of the man who killed her daughter。 The result is enchanting。 I listened to the audiobook， which is read by the author， and I think she did a wonderful job。 She was a beautiful voice that captures the tone of the novel and the voices of the characters well。 This is a high 4 stars from me。 I might rate it higher， but I want to see how I feel in a few weeks when the initial enchantment has worn off。 。。。more

Cherribnreads ，

Loved the concept of this book suprised on the path it went down when I'm the type of person that reads a description an sees the plot infront of my eyes before I even read through the first page😂， enjoyed this an hoped others who are interested get a chance to read this Loved the concept of this book suprised on the path it went down when I'm the type of person that reads a description an sees the plot infront of my eyes before I even read through the first page😂， enjoyed this an hoped others who are interested get a chance to read this 。。。more

Jamie Park ，

This is narrated by the author and OMG what a narrator！ I swear this book scratched an itch I had somewhere in my soul。 It was everything。 I am obsessed with Chinese Folklore and this is it。 I love the murder mystery， all the characters， and the setting。 There is also sad romance and I love that too。 Lets see if any other audiobooks in 2024 can top this perfection。

ReneeReads ，

This is my first read by this author despite having The Night Tiger on my TBR forever。 I have heard so many good things and was expecting this book to blow my mind。 Instead of blowing my mind， it put me to sleep。 I wanted to love this， but I just kept drifting off while listening to the audiobook。 Nothing against the narrator （author） but I just wasn't invested/interested enough in the story to keep going。I did really like the Chinese folklore and was expecting that to keep me interested if noth This is my first read by this author despite having The Night Tiger on my TBR forever。 I have heard so many good things and was expecting this book to blow my mind。 Instead of blowing my mind， it put me to sleep。 I wanted to love this， but I just kept drifting off while listening to the audiobook。 Nothing against the narrator （author） but I just wasn't invested/interested enough in the story to keep going。I did really like the Chinese folklore and was expecting that to keep me interested if nothing else but I could not connect with this one。 Many readers will love this book and I still look forward to trying other books by this author。Official DNF at 40%。Thank you NetGalley， Macmillan Audio and Yangsze Choo for the ALC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Sara ，

Review to come in a few hours！ ❄️（FINAL REVIEW）: This was a wonderfully aching tale of maternal grief， revenge， and murder mystery set in early 1900’s Manchuria。 The story is filled with Chinese fox spirit lore， and the plot that starts it all off is devastating。 😢The two POV’s in the book are written not only in a different narration style to help distinguish the two， but also to see both sides of the tale。 Xue’er （or Snow by her friends， and Ah San by her employers） is a fox spirit that is set Review to come in a few hours！ ❄️（FINAL REVIEW）: This was a wonderfully aching tale of maternal grief， revenge， and murder mystery set in early 1900’s Manchuria。 The story is filled with Chinese fox spirit lore， and the plot that starts it all off is devastating。 😢The two POV’s in the book are written not only in a different narration style to help distinguish the two， but also to see both sides of the tale。 Xue’er （or Snow by her friends， and Ah San by her employers） is a fox spirit that is set on the path of revenge after a devastating event occurs。 I loved the diary-like style her narration takes on as she provided great insight into the life and culture of fox spirits。 Her tale of grief is heart wrenching as you learn more of the events that lead her to where she is at the beginning of the story。 The second POV， Bao， is done through third person narrative， and while he did feel a bit “bland” in comparison to Xue’er’s POV， I find that it fits him。 He provides the murder mystery context of the story， and Choo does a wonderful job of leading you along while trying and failing to figure out the “who-done-it” question。 🔍The side characters were just as evocative as the main POVs。 I found Kuro and the old mistress to be the most endearing of the bunch as they treat grieving Xue’er with kindness。 Shiro in my opinion， got the ending he deserved， though his motives still elude me 。 。 。 But I guess that’s a fox for you。 🦊I did find the timeline to be a bit muddled for me here and there， and I do feel like Shiro’s relationship with Bektu not really well explained。 But in the end， I still thoroughly enjoyed this snowy tale of foxes and the journey of grief， healing and revenge to be engrossing。 I honestly couldn’t put it down at times！ This is definitely for those who love and are interested in Chinese fox spirits， murder mysteries， and a mystery driven plot found in Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s Cemetery of Forgotten Books series！ 📚Big thank you goes out to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co。 for accepting my request for an eARC in exchange for an honest review， and to Goodreads for hosting a giveaway where I received a physical copy。 And to the author， Yangsze Choo， for creating such an endearing tale of loss， revenge， and murder mystery！ Overall: 4。5/5 ⭐️Publication date: February 13！ ❤️ 。。。more

Alex ，

I received an advanced copy through NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily。 "I was very sad without you。"Oh， I loved this。 The Fox Wife is a magical story about fox spirits， but also about a mother's love for her child， but also two love stories in one。 I gasped when the lines between the two POV characters connected， and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the reunion。I loved the dynamic between the three foxes， and all the hints about their past that slowly forms a story， and I received an advanced copy through NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily。 "I was very sad without you。"Oh， I loved this。 The Fox Wife is a magical story about fox spirits， but also about a mother's love for her child， but also two love stories in one。 I gasped when the lines between the two POV characters connected， and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the reunion。I loved the dynamic between the three foxes， and all the hints about their past that slowly forms a story， and the way the puzzle was gradually put together。 I loved all the myths and magic around them， and the ending was just so soft and gentle， I won't quote it here because everyone should experience those final lines themselves。My only complaint is that the three foxes didn't end up polyamorous like they absolutely should have （in my mind）。 。。。more

Madison ✨ （mad。lyreading） ，

This book is slow and atmospheric， but in a really wonderful way。 Simultaneously not a lot happens， but a lot happens。 It's odd。 But I loved it。This book is a dual POV of a fox spirit and a detective。 The fox spirit is on a story of revenge for reasons we don't fully understand， and Bao is trying to solve the mysterious death of a woman found frozen outside of a local shop。 These characters are so different from one another， and their voices are very distinct。 I enjoyed both of their stories equ This book is slow and atmospheric， but in a really wonderful way。 Simultaneously not a lot happens， but a lot happens。 It's odd。 But I loved it。This book is a dual POV of a fox spirit and a detective。 The fox spirit is on a story of revenge for reasons we don't fully understand， and Bao is trying to solve the mysterious death of a woman found frozen outside of a local shop。 These characters are so different from one another， and their voices are very distinct。 I enjoyed both of their stories equally， as they intertwined and went their own direction。Choo does a great job of teaching the reader about fox spirits through the novel。 I was so intrigued by these creatures， and I wanted to keep learning more。 The writing wasn't particularly flowery， but I was very impressed with the author's ability to write the character's voices。 I really enjoyed this one and will likely be checking out more of Choo's work。Thank you to Henry Holt & Co。 and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more

Leah Heathman ，

An absolutely captivating story！ This novel by Yangsze Choo is part folk lore and part crime novel。 The audio version is narrated by the author and she does a marvelous job。 The Fox Wife has complex characters， an irresistibly engaging plot， and is beautifully written。

ashley post ，

I have some mixed feelings on this one。 It was magical and whimsical and based in folklore and so otherworldly。 But it also took me a long time to get into for a book of its length。 I was expecting to be immediately swept into the magic and mythology the story is based on， but there was so much background and set-up that it was not as eager to pick it up as I wanted to be。 With that said， this book was rich with enchanting tales of ancient stories and beliefs。 Choo does an incredible job at weav I have some mixed feelings on this one。 It was magical and whimsical and based in folklore and so otherworldly。 But it also took me a long time to get into for a book of its length。 I was expecting to be immediately swept into the magic and mythology the story is based on， but there was so much background and set-up that it was not as eager to pick it up as I wanted to be。 With that said， this book was rich with enchanting tales of ancient stories and beliefs。 Choo does an incredible job at weaving Chinese culture together with a mystery plotline and it was such an incredible feeling， knowing I was both learning about a culture and their beliefs while also trying to figure out what happened to Snow’s daughter and Bao’s client。 The magic and mystery of this one was captivating once I got into it。 I listened to the audio of this one， which is narrated by the author。 I always feel that when the author narrates， as a listener we are getting the most authentic version and this one was nothing short of that。 It was delivered with inflection and tone and so much feeling。 I was truly immersed in the audio version， moreso I imagine， than I would have been had I read the text version。 。。。more

Dulshi Peiris ，

I loved Yangaze Choo's 'The Night Tiger' a lot so this was an obvious read for me。 However， this book fell flat for me。 It didn't entice me from the beginning like it did in The Night Tiger。 I had no reason to keep reading。 I DNFed around the 30% mark。 I loved Yangaze Choo's 'The Night Tiger' a lot so this was an obvious read for me。 However， this book fell flat for me。 It didn't entice me from the beginning like it did in The Night Tiger。 I had no reason to keep reading。 I DNFed around the 30% mark。 。。。more

Bethany （Beautifully Bookish Bethany） ，

The Fox Wife is an intricately woven tale of magic， mythology， and historical fact set in early-1900's Manchuria。 Drawing on tales of magical and dangerous shape-shifting foxes， we get a multi-perspective mystery that looks at the treatment of women in China at that time， and the role of folktales and religion in the lives of everyday people。 Independent or seductive women were sometimes thought to be foxes or possessed by a fox， but this makes myth a reality and then complicates it。 The pacing The Fox Wife is an intricately woven tale of magic， mythology， and historical fact set in early-1900's Manchuria。 Drawing on tales of magical and dangerous shape-shifting foxes， we get a multi-perspective mystery that looks at the treatment of women in China at that time， and the role of folktales and religion in the lives of everyday people。 Independent or seductive women were sometimes thought to be foxes or possessed by a fox， but this makes myth a reality and then complicates it。 The pacing is on the slow side and I would say it leans literary， blending historical fiction with a bit of magic and mythology and complicated characters。 I thought it was a little too long for the pace， but overall it's a beautifully written book and worth checking out if the premise appeals to you。 The audio narration is fine， though we didn't get a lot of voice differentiation for the various perspective characters。 I received an audio review copy from NetGalley， all opinions are my own。 。。。more

Taylor ，

4。25⭐️TW: Death of a child This was such a great book！ You follow a grieving mother/fox spirit on the hunt to kill those who contributed to her daughter’s death in one pov while following a detective on her trail in the second pov。 I really liked the dual povs！ In one of them we just jump right into the story， and then the other one is trailing along providing the context for the other story while still being it’s own pov at the same time。 I really liked how each pov held its own and I never pre 4。25⭐️TW: Death of a child This was such a great book！ You follow a grieving mother/fox spirit on the hunt to kill those who contributed to her daughter’s death in one pov while following a detective on her trail in the second pov。 I really liked the dual povs！ In one of them we just jump right into the story， and then the other one is trailing along providing the context for the other story while still being it’s own pov at the same time。 I really liked how each pov held its own and I never preferred one over the other， they were very well balanced。 I listened to the audiobook， which is narrated by the author！！ It was the perfect narration for this book， it really added to the story。 The author/narrator’s voice is exactly what I imagined the woman main character’s voice to be。 。。。more

Bobbi ，

I received an advanced copy of this book （ARC） from NetGalley （my thanks！） in exchange for an honest review。 You can read my blog post: https://www。literarypawspectives。com/。。。Having been captivated by Yangsze Choo's previous works like 'The Night Tiger'， I approached 'The Fox Wife' with high expectations。 Landing an advanced copy from NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company was a big win！ I definitely did a quick happy dance when that approval came through。Set in 1908 Manchuria， "The Fox Wife" weave I received an advanced copy of this book （ARC） from NetGalley （my thanks！） in exchange for an honest review。 You can read my blog post: https://www。literarypawspectives。com/。。。Having been captivated by Yangsze Choo's previous works like 'The Night Tiger'， I approached 'The Fox Wife' with high expectations。 Landing an advanced copy from NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company was a big win！ I definitely did a quick happy dance when that approval came through。Set in 1908 Manchuria， "The Fox Wife" weaves a tale around the mysterious death of a young woman， rumored to involve enchanting shape shifting foxes known for stealing life force。 Detective Bao， intrigued by the myth of fox spirits， takes on the case to unearth her identity of the young woman。 Simultaneously， a family cursed to lose their sons before their 24th birthday faces impending doom as their last heir approaches this age。 The story is interwoven through a new mysterious woman， or fox lady， who arrives in Manchuria。Some might say this is a slow book， yet the way the writing beautifully captured your attention was amazing！ I captured so many quotes from this novel that just hit you right in the soul。The plot is a masterful of simple unexpected twists and turns。 'The Fox Wife' accomplishes this with a seamless blend of intrigue and revelation。 I truly believe the author understands the way grief can take a hold of you and carve unending pain。The use of dual POVs is executed with such finesse that it elevates the narrative to new heights。 The alternating perspectives provide a rich， layered understanding of the story， allowing the reader to immerse deeply in the world without giving away the story too far in advance。Each character brought a unique essence to the story。 One character， in particular， resonated with me due to their complex journey and development throughout the novel。 I can honestly say I loved every major character。 The characters were well enough developed and had complete story arcs。Lastly， the ending was perfect！ I was adequately satiated with the story。 It was not rushed and it made total sense for each character。'The Fox Wife' is a story that resonates with profound themes and exquisite storytelling。 Yangsze Choo has solidified her place on my list of must-read authors。 I wholeheartedly recommend this book 。"The Fox Wife" comes out February 13th， 2023！ Be sure to pre-order your copy！ 。。。more

Kerry ，

at about 40% of the audioFavorite line so far: Did you love him？ Yes， a love like madness。

Fiona ，

3。5 starsThank you to the publisher and author for the ARC！ I love the folklores and East Asian cultures Choo explores in her books， but this one was a bit of a slow start for me。 I found myself putting down the book often during the first 60% of the book， but once plot points fell into motion I became more invested。 The book makes use of alternating characters/plot lines that eventually converged， which I liked at times but also found occasionally distracting。 I think I was just really anticipa 3。5 starsThank you to the publisher and author for the ARC！ I love the folklores and East Asian cultures Choo explores in her books， but this one was a bit of a slow start for me。 I found myself putting down the book often during the first 60% of the book， but once plot points fell into motion I became more invested。 The book makes use of alternating characters/plot lines that eventually converged， which I liked at times but also found occasionally distracting。 I think I was just really anticipating this release and maybe hyped my expectations up too much， but I’m still a Yangsze Choo stan and will devour whatever she writes next！ 。。。more

Diana Wolff ，

I really enjoyed this book！ If I could give it a 4。5 I would - it’s not my normal preferred book genre， but it kept my interest the whole time and as the story really got going I had trouble putting it down。 I was always wondering what was going to happen next！ I’m grateful to have won this advanced copy in a Goodreads giveaway and will definitely recommend it to others to read。 I’ll also keep looking for books by Choo to add to my reading list！

Shruti morethanmylupus ，

This book is a beautiful blend of Chinese folklore and a fairly modern （1908） setting。 This book had a lot of storylines working simultaneously but all centering around the concept of foxes。 We have both spirits and mortals along with other folklore creatures that are mixed in as well。 I had to pay attention to the narrative as it progressed because the way it's structured wasn't what I'm used to， but I read on audiobook and I didn't have too much trouble following along as long as I was paying This book is a beautiful blend of Chinese folklore and a fairly modern （1908） setting。 This book had a lot of storylines working simultaneously but all centering around the concept of foxes。 We have both spirits and mortals along with other folklore creatures that are mixed in as well。 I had to pay attention to the narrative as it progressed because the way it's structured wasn't what I'm used to， but I read on audiobook and I didn't have too much trouble following along as long as I was paying attention。 The prose is beautiful and I loved the way the folklore was blended with the realities of the modern world。 I am also less knowledgable of these elements of Chinese folklore， so I had fun learning more about them。If you enjoy folklore retellings， this is a great choice。 A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley。 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book。 。。。more

Zizi ，

Audiobooks read by the author are some of my favorites and this book is no exception！ Yangsze Choo has a compelling voice that conveyed the atmosphere of the story very well。This tale follows two characters， Snow （a maid） and Bao （a detective）， through separate storylines that overlap from time to time。 It is a murder mystery， a story of revenge， a love story， and ancient fox folklore all woven together。 I enjoyed the folklore and the mystery that unfolded throughout the book， but the revenge an Audiobooks read by the author are some of my favorites and this book is no exception！ Yangsze Choo has a compelling voice that conveyed the atmosphere of the story very well。This tale follows two characters， Snow （a maid） and Bao （a detective）， through separate storylines that overlap from time to time。 It is a murder mystery， a story of revenge， a love story， and ancient fox folklore all woven together。 I enjoyed the folklore and the mystery that unfolded throughout the book， but the revenge and love story aspects left me wishing for more。 I don’t want to spoil the reading experience but if you are a fan of historical fiction mixed with folk tales you should read this book。Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for my review。 。。。more

Janel ，

I liked the writing style。 The author is great at character development and writing descriptions。 I also like Bao's ability to hear lies。 That was an interesting concept。However， it took a long time to tell the story。 There is a good story under all the words。 I was just overwhelmed by how much had to be said to tell this story。 I will， however， read other novels by this author。 I liked the writing style。 The author is great at character development and writing descriptions。 I also like Bao's ability to hear lies。 That was an interesting concept。However， it took a long time to tell the story。 There is a good story under all the words。 I was just overwhelmed by how much had to be said to tell this story。 I will， however， read other novels by this author。 。。。more

Naomi Wilson ，

After the death of her daughter Snow is out for revenge。 Her path leads her to other mischievous foxes from her past， and a couple of humans with their own connections to foxes。 This was a very fun， mysterious story， with a little romance and mythology。

L A ，

The Fox Wife is a compelling fusion of folklore and historical fiction that resonated strongly with me， given my appreciation for Chinese and Asian folklore。 Set against the backdrop of Manchuria in 1908， the narrative immerses readers in a world where ancient myths take on a tangible and literal presence。I found the incorporation of the folklore elements into the story to be a particularly noteworthy aspect of this novel。 The author adeptly interweaves these cultural myths， resulting in a narra The Fox Wife is a compelling fusion of folklore and historical fiction that resonated strongly with me， given my appreciation for Chinese and Asian folklore。 Set against the backdrop of Manchuria in 1908， the narrative immerses readers in a world where ancient myths take on a tangible and literal presence。I found the incorporation of the folklore elements into the story to be a particularly noteworthy aspect of this novel。 The author adeptly interweaves these cultural myths， resulting in a narrative that blurs the boundaries between reality and folklore while still providing a cracking page-turner。Having very much enjoyed the author's prior works， The Ghost Bride and The Night Tiger， my expectations were high for this book and fortunately， it did not disappoint。 The story unfolds during the end days of the Qing dynasty， around 1910， with much of the action taking place in Manchuria and Japan which I thought was a really interesting time setting for the story。The story unfolds deliberately， employing dual perspectives。 Snow， a fox spirit capable of adopting human form， narrates her part in the first person， while Bao， an elderly investigator skilled at locating missing persons， recounts his role in the third person。 Their narratives eventually converge， leading to unexpected revelations， particularly as it becomes evident that Snow is not the sole fox character in the tale， and Bao's life experiences significantly impact the narrative。I liked the detective story elements of the novel （which is not usually a genre I particularly enjoy！）， replete with intriguing plot twists and suspenseful developments that kept me firmly hooked until the story's conclusion。 I felt perhaps there was some room for further exploration of the romantic tension elements of the novel， and as usual I was rooting for the wrong guy， but this minor personal niggle did not diminish my enjoyment of the novel。。In short， another banger from Choo！ 。。。more

Chelsea Reining ，

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC！4。25/5 starsThis story was truly something special - it was slow paced， but unique and captivating in a way that few stories are。 The writing was exemplary， and the characters fascinating， and the atmosphere top notch。 It's the kind of book that， granted， not a ton happens - but you're so enraptured by the storytelling that you get lost in the pages and just have a genuinely good time navigating the motivations and intersecting stories。 I really struggle to write Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC！4。25/5 starsThis story was truly something special - it was slow paced， but unique and captivating in a way that few stories are。 The writing was exemplary， and the characters fascinating， and the atmosphere top notch。 It's the kind of book that， granted， not a ton happens - but you're so enraptured by the storytelling that you get lost in the pages and just have a genuinely good time navigating the motivations and intersecting stories。 I really struggle to write a longer review because it was just such a unique read - the plot was interesting enough but what you get captured by is the lore， the intrigue， the characters and their stories and grief and （often） conflicting motivations。 It spans a lifetime and countries and is just so rich you'll be mesmerized。 I really highly recommend this to anyone that wants a story with some stakes and action but really just something you can sink into， with characters you'll come to feel for （whether that be positive or negative） - beautiful storytelling by an author that truly and obviously has a passion for what they do。 。。。more

Mackenzie ，

When I heard Yangsze Choo was working on another book， it was quickly added to my calendar as a must read of 2024。 I am happy to report it was worth the hype。 The Fox Wife is an utterly charming book that is part folktale， part drama， and part detective story that had me hooked from the first few pages。 Honestly， I could write paragraphs about how much I loved both protagonists and the complicated mess of side characters， or about the way Yangsze always nails her world building， with its one foo When I heard Yangsze Choo was working on another book， it was quickly added to my calendar as a must read of 2024。 I am happy to report it was worth the hype。 The Fox Wife is an utterly charming book that is part folktale， part drama， and part detective story that had me hooked from the first few pages。 Honestly， I could write paragraphs about how much I loved both protagonists and the complicated mess of side characters， or about the way Yangsze always nails her world building， with its one foot in folklore and the other in history， or about the way the alternating narration left cliffhanger after cliffhanger that made me unable to put the book down， while desperately not wanting it to end。 But instead I’ll just say you should absolutely read it for yourselves when it comes out。 A massive thank you to Henry Holt for giving me the opportunity to read this book early。 This was my first ARC and it could not have been a more enjoyable experience。 。。。more

Hank ，

3。75 stars。 I liked this much better than The Ghost Bride。 The romance was more subdued and done well。 The slow reveals were alternately comforting and surprising and all the mythology surrounding the foxes was exactly what you want it to be， strange， intriguing and somehow both off-putting and desirable。Choo has a slow， kind of quiet way of writing where you think not much is happening until you are right in the middle of the action。 It just rides the fine line of boring vs peaceful。 Maybe not 3。75 stars。 I liked this much better than The Ghost Bride。 The romance was more subdued and done well。 The slow reveals were alternately comforting and surprising and all the mythology surrounding the foxes was exactly what you want it to be， strange， intriguing and somehow both off-putting and desirable。Choo has a slow， kind of quiet way of writing where you think not much is happening until you are right in the middle of the action。 It just rides the fine line of boring vs peaceful。 Maybe not the best book of 2023 for me but well worth the time。 。。。more

Ricki Brodie ，

Foxes speak！ Imagine a group of fox spirits who can live one thousand years， transmorph into human forms， live among us and bewitch us。 One such fox is Snow aka Ah San。 She is grieving the loss of her child and is out for revenge for all who have had a hand in the murder。 Through her narration， we follow her path during 1908， in China and Japan。 She eventually becomes the servant of an elderly woman who was saved by one of these foxes as a child。Snow is reunited with two other foxes in their hum Foxes speak！ Imagine a group of fox spirits who can live one thousand years， transmorph into human forms， live among us and bewitch us。 One such fox is Snow aka Ah San。 She is grieving the loss of her child and is out for revenge for all who have had a hand in the murder。 Through her narration， we follow her path during 1908， in China and Japan。 She eventually becomes the servant of an elderly woman who was saved by one of these foxes as a child。Snow is reunited with two other foxes in their human form。 Shiro is a mischievous beguiler who has women falling at his feet and providing him with money for a very comfortable lifestyle。 He has befriended the grandson of Snow’s employer and his coterie of friends。 Kuro is a noted writer who wants to help Snow any way he can。 Concurrently， we meet Bao， who as a sickly child， had a nanny who prayed at a fox shrine for his health。 Bao recuperated and discovered he could not lie and could discern when others did。 After his wife died， Bao decided to use his talent and become a private investigator。 He was charged with finding the missing soon-to-be wife of one of the richest men in the area。 He was also asked to find the identity of a beautiful woman who died outside a restaurant in the cold。The book moves seamlessly between these two characters。 Their stories hit on so topics， grief， sorrow， regret， friendship， loyalty， mystery， hope， love and magical realism。 The underlying Chinese folktale provides a magical canvas for this wondrous story。Thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for this ARC。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more

Lillyanna Lamm ，

2。5

Bookworm ，

This was a quiet， atmospheric novel that was part mystery， part fable。 It was all about foxes， the Chinese folklore that surrounds these animals and their supernatural abilities such as shape shifting。 The plot is told from two perspectives = a detective trying to solve a murder mystery and a companion to an elderly wealthy woman。 This companion is also a fox living in human form。 I absolutely adored learning about the fox folklore。 It was fascinating。 It added an element of depth into the plot。 This was a quiet， atmospheric novel that was part mystery， part fable。 It was all about foxes， the Chinese folklore that surrounds these animals and their supernatural abilities such as shape shifting。 The plot is told from two perspectives = a detective trying to solve a murder mystery and a companion to an elderly wealthy woman。 This companion is also a fox living in human form。 I absolutely adored learning about the fox folklore。 It was fascinating。 It added an element of depth into the plot。 The writing was also beautiful and lyrical。 The author successfully created a charming yet otherworldly setting that seamlessly blended history and magical realism。 My challenges while reading this book lay in the many characters and challenges of keeping all of the characters straight。 I remained confused for most of the story as to who was who。 I also found the pacing off， which detracted from the suspense of the mysteries。I didn’t care for the audiobook much。 The narrator’s voice range was on the flatter side， which resulted in all of the character voices sounding the same。 It was difficult to know who was saying what during dialogue segments。 Adding to the confusion， there were no chapter headings so the listener wasn’t given any warning between character perspective changes。 I found myself hopelessly lost numerous times during the story trying to understand what was happening。I received an ARC and audiobook on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Jen ，

The cover of this book is what drew me to pick it up。 It is as beautiful as the book is。 Set in the Early 1900s Manchuria， this book uses a quiet narrative to tell stories of local folklore。 The storytelling is masterful as you meander through the intersection of the main characters and the foxes。 。 The story felt like a leisurely stroll， but the pacing was enough to keep it going at the same time。 I'm excited to go into the author's prior works and give those a go as well。 The cover of this book is what drew me to pick it up。 It is as beautiful as the book is。 Set in the Early 1900s Manchuria， this book uses a quiet narrative to tell stories of local folklore。 The storytelling is masterful as you meander through the intersection of the main characters and the foxes。 。 The story felt like a leisurely stroll， but the pacing was enough to keep it going at the same time。 I'm excited to go into the author's prior works and give those a go as well。 。。。more

Roxana ，

Rich and mesmerizing and clever。 Proper review to come but I loved it。