Title / The Girl With The Ghost Eyes
Author / M. H. Boroson
Publication Date / 2015
Page no. / 288
Overall Rating / ★★★★
This is a historical fantasy story and is the first book in the Daoshi Chronicles. It is set in Chinatown in San Francisco during the nineteenth century and follows a twenty three year old woman called Li-lin, who has the unique ability to see the spirit world (referred to as yin eyes). She is the daughter of a renowned Daoshi exorcist but her ability brings shame to her family so she keeps it a secret. After her father is crippled by a sorcerer, Li-lin must find a way to stop their terrible plans.
I picked this one up on a bit of a whim and I’m really glad I did. I hadn’t heard anything about it but I was intrigued by the premise so I decided to give it a go. I enjoyed this one a lot. I found it easy to settle into the flow of the story and was invested in it from very early on. The plot was compelling throughout and the pacing was well done. Once I started this book, I found that I read a lot more than I intended to. I loved the elements of Chinese folklore, although I cannot comment on its authenticity, and I loved the setting. Although I will say that world building is not a main focus of this book, I thought it was still well done and it successfully draws you into the story.
One of my favourite things about this book was the characters. I thought Li-lin was a great protagonist. I love that she is not the strongest in terms of magic, so she must rely on her wits to win against her enemies. I find it quite refreshing to have a protagonist that isn’t the strongest and I enjoy reading about how they overcome their enemies using imaginative strategies. This book also contains a spirit in the form of a talking human eyeball and I loved the interactions between Li-lin and the eyeball. There is some great dialogue between them. The secondary characters are all well written and distinctive from one another.
Overall I really enjoyed this one and would definitely recommend checking it out. The sequel, The Girl With No Face, is set to be released on the 22nd October 2019, and continues to follow the adventures of Li-lin. I can’t wait to see how things progress in the second book. Have you guys read this book? I’d love to know what you thought. I hope you are all having a wonderful day and I will see you next time.
Pippa
thelittlebookowl 