Daughter of Calamity
A gripping, darkly seductive fantasy set in Jazz Age Shanghai
Published on 18. June 2024
400 pages
978-1-0350-1129-2 (ISBN)
Description
An irresistibly dark reimagining of 1930s Shanghai filled with glamour, gods and gangsters.
'I was utterly swept up . . . seductive, sprawling, full of malice' - Kendare Blake, New York Times bestselling author of Three Dark Crowns
In Shanghai, danger wears many faces . . .
1932, Shanghai. By day, Jingwen delivers bones for her grandmother, an exclusive surgeon who works for the most formidable gang in the city. By night, she dances at the Paramount, a lavish cabaret club, competing ruthlessly to charm its wealthy patrons.
Then mysterious attackers start to target the dancers, stealing the faces of their victims and selling them on to the powerful elite. Jingwen fears she could be next. To protect herself and her fellow performers, she has no choice but to delve deeper into the city's glittering underworld.
In this treacherous realm of cut-throat businessmen, silver-limbed gangsters and vengeful gods, Jingwen soon learns that she must become something far stranger and more dangerous than she ever imagined - if she hopes to survive . . .
'Decadent, dangerous and addictive' - A. Y. Chao, Sunday Times bestselling author of Shanghai Immortal
'I was utterly swept up . . . seductive, sprawling, full of malice' - Kendare Blake, New York Times bestselling author of Three Dark Crowns
In Shanghai, danger wears many faces . . .
1932, Shanghai. By day, Jingwen delivers bones for her grandmother, an exclusive surgeon who works for the most formidable gang in the city. By night, she dances at the Paramount, a lavish cabaret club, competing ruthlessly to charm its wealthy patrons.
Then mysterious attackers start to target the dancers, stealing the faces of their victims and selling them on to the powerful elite. Jingwen fears she could be next. To protect herself and her fellow performers, she has no choice but to delve deeper into the city's glittering underworld.
In this treacherous realm of cut-throat businessmen, silver-limbed gangsters and vengeful gods, Jingwen soon learns that she must become something far stranger and more dangerous than she ever imagined - if she hopes to survive . . .
'Decadent, dangerous and addictive' - A. Y. Chao, Sunday Times bestselling author of Shanghai Immortal
Reviews / Votes
Darkly atmospheric and richly layered, Daughter of Calamity fuses the luxury of 1930s Shanghai, its criminal underbelly, and the powers of the gods themselves. This is a story that seeps into your imagination and persists to the very last page -- Andrea Stewart, author of the Drowning Empire trilogy Unfolding against a backdrop of shadowy club interiors, steam-filled alleys and overlooked temples, Daughter of Calamity is a novel that demands you turn the pages. I was utterly swept up in this tale of glittering cabaret girls and deadly gangsters, and Lin's incarnation of Shanghai - seductive, sprawling, full of malice - is a character in itself -- Kendare Blake, No. 1 <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>Three Dark Crowns</i> Rosalie Lin crafts a world dripping with atmosphere and intrigue where gods and shamans wreak havoc in mist-filled alleys while dance girls spin on clouds of gold and desire. Lin's Shanghai bursts from the page, decadent, dangerous and addictive. A thrilling debut -- A. Y. Chao, author of <i>Shanghai Immortal</i> Daughter of Calamity transported me to dazzling, blood-soaked Shanghai. I was swept away by the spectacle of vicious feuds between gangsters and gods, caught up in the heart-pounding twists and betrayals that kept me turning the pages. A dark and fantastical read -- Judy I. Lin, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>A Magic Steeped in Poison</i> Lin's Shanghai invites you in with an open hand or an offer to dance; here, every page is full of glamour, possibility, treachery. Daughter of Calamity will pull you in like a fever dream -- Grace D. Li, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>Portrait of a Thief</i> This debut is a genre blend of mystery and fantasy with some amazing world-building . . . Fans of fantasy will want to know Lin's name -- <i>Booklist</i>, Starred Review The author's love for Shanghai is clear from the early pages, and her descriptions of the Jazz Age and its effects on the city unfold in gorgeous, vivid detail -- <i>Kirkus</i> Lin successfully creates a world that is as much a character in the novel as the people who live in it . . . historical fantasy enthusiasts will be delighted by the world-building -- <i>Library Journal</i> Superb world-building. Characters are vividly believable and vastly diverse . . . A splendidly imaginative debut -- Historical Novel SocietyMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Pan Macmillan
Target group
Interest Age: From 18 years
File size
1,10 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-0350-1129-2 (9781035011292)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Rosalie M. Lin is a Chinese-American writer from the San Francisco Bay Area. She has, at various points in the past decade, graduated with a degree in Comparative Literature, pole-danced in two Beijing nightclubs and dropped out of a biomedical PhD program, before seriously pursuing her original dream of becoming an author. Daughter of Calamity is her debut novel.
