I don't think I really felt connected to Lady Jing until she arrived at mortal Shanghai and started experiencing panic attacks, as well as realizing that there were gaps in her memories of childhood. She was traded by her mother to the King of Hell when she was young and is now living in immortal Shanghai, running menial errands for the king. It’s a wonderful book full of wonky love and wry humour with a gorgeous feast-for-the-senses setting.

And we’ll see that slowly but surely, Jing will mellow thanks to Mr Lee and other acquaintances that will prove being her friends, to Jing’s utter astonishment. Overall Shanghai Immortal was a story with a really intriguing premise that missed the mark a little bit for me.As the King’s ward, she has spent the past ninety years running errands, dodging the taunts of the spiteful hulijing courtiers, and trying to control her explosive temper – with varying levels of success. Do not pass up this book if you are a lover of vampires, strong female characters, and magical lands. The writing style is witty and filled with personality, and the characters are so bright they shine with life of it's own. If we talk about the pacing of the novel, it contains too much description that isn’t required in my opinion.

Editorial director Molly Powell acquired world English rights to Shanghai Immortal and two other books from Jamie Cowen at the Ampersand Agency. I adored all the demons, mythical creatures, vampires and dragons that took a central part in the story. From this point on, I was so engrossed in the story I had to finish the rest of the book in a single day. Her heartbreaking childhood trauma made me feel incredibly protective over her and I really enjoyed discovering more of her backstory whilst watching her slowly allow herself to show vulnerability.Despite being a five-star read for me, because I honestly resonated with Little Jing the entire book, I understand that some people might not resonate with her, which might impact another person's reading experience of this book. The secondary characters are so complex and well-explored that I know the story wouldn't have been the same without them, their strengths and their unwavering love for Jing.