An adult fantasy novel that is set in the 1930s but mostly takes place in the heavenly, hellish and supernatural realms. Anyways: I enjoyed the supporting characters, the mythology, the slow burn, and Lady Jing's development. I didn't have any issue with the way the expositionary details were interweaved with the story and I was satisfied with the climax. I was left scrounging for more romantic crumbs at the end but it *was* tied up so it's all good. The way Chao describes these mythological characters is really amazing. I absolutely loved the concept behind the story.

When tasked with bringing a mortal, Mr Lee, into Hell, Jing spies on the courtiers' plotting. She overhears their plans to steal a dragon pearl from the King. Suddenly, Jing sees her opportunity to expose them as the liars they are. Shanghai Immortal is a sarcastic, character-driven story about the half-fox spirit, half-vampire Lady Jing, who spent most of her almost hundred years of life in the spirit realm of Immortal Shanghai upset with the people and non-people around her. By chance, she hears of a plot by the court of fox spirits (or rather huljing) to steal the very dragon pearl that the King of Hell gave her mother to have Jing become his ward. Jing seizes this chance to expose the spiteful huljing who rejected her from their court due to her mixed heritage once and for all, and embarks on a journey from Immortal to Mortal Shanghai and, with the help of a charming mortal, sets out to reveal their plot. I want to preface this review by saying that I know for a fact that this book will not be for everyone. If you have delicate sensibilities and are easily offended by words like "piss-fart" and "ta-tas," as a matter of fact, you might hate this book. I, however, have the mouth of a sailor and am not offended by profanities. In fact, I found them hilarious. You see, Lady Jing, our FMC, is an absolute sasshole, and I love her for this. I love that Chao didn't shy away from developing Lady Jing's sassiness because she felt colorful and full of life. The title ‘Shanghai Immortal‘ still fits, but it’s the hell version of Shanghai we’re first introduced to. Chao takes us on a little trip to ‘mortal Shanghai’ as well, which is basically 1930s Shanghai as it would have known historically. This worked really well in terms of helping to get engrossed in the story, as it was Jing’s first trip too, and Chao did a great job at describing the world; it’s clear a lot of research went into the story.So, hell, the mortal world… and we also get to know the celestial lands! Home to the likes of Chang-e and dragon lords. This is just a little part of the large amount of world-building Chao has put into Shanghai Immortal, and everything fits together just so perfectly. I won’t delve into this element, but I absolutely loved how roosters were used in the overall world. Hua Mulan wore trousers.' I invoke one of my heroes, the girl who took on an army and proved herself the equal of any man. But honestly, I enjoyed, devoured and loved this book. Although I'm ashamed to say I was unable to read it in one sitting because of my schedule being too tight because of college, I do believe I had a chill, nothing-to-do day, I would have definitely sat on my couch and read this thing from start to finish in one sitting!!

Relationships, whether romantic, friendly or familial, play an important part in the story throughout and yet Jing can’t seem to shake those self-doubts. There’s a wonderful found family aspect to Shanghai Immortal and if you’re a fan of those kinds of stories then this will definitely be a book for you! Every one of the “good” characters has something incredibly endearing about them. Jing embarks on a journey to hunt for the pearl, first through Hell and then into 1930s mortal Shanghai, assisted by Mr Lee and her Celestial friend, Lady Gi. Jing explores the sights, sounds and tastes of Jazz-aged China. So we have Lady Jing, an immortal of soon to be hundred years and considered as a child not so long ago (the aging and adulting of immortals are different I guess). Her friendship with Gigi is also really nice! Gigi comes running whenever she's in trouble and kinda keeps her grounded. Lady Jing is half fox spirit and half vampire, and she was apparently sold by her mother to the king of hell to buy diamonds.

Lady Jing is half vampire, half fox spirit, and a ward of Hell. The book was full of hijinks and chaos in the best possible way, and I truly happened upon it at the best possible time, since I've been reading mostly dark, heavy, complex fantasy. And that's not to discount the world that Chao built, but giving credit to the levity that was baked into the story. It's rare that a book hits my mood just right, but this one definitely did. The book centers around her journey to seeking the truth about a plot to steal a highly coveted dragon pearl from the king. Through her adventures, she finds friendships, love, and herself. Shanghai Immortal is the adult fantasy debut of A.Y. Chao. A great story about Chinese folklore where deities and demons coexist in a 1930s Shanghai full of jazz, humans, and candies. The first part of this trilogy is a love letter to Chinese culture. A fun and magical ride that will make you laugh out loud and fall in love with the characters. A brilliant, vibrant world with a joyous, irreverent and chaotic cast of characters. Absolutely rooting for Lady Jing forever." - Hannah Kaner