Li Lan, a young Malayan woman, is approached with an offer to wed the recently deceased Lim Tian Ching, whose family is very wealthy. Accepting the offer rescues her father from further financial ruin and she will be set for life. Except, she will also be marrying the man who haunts and harasses her in her dreams. In an effort to exorcise Lim Tian Ching, she ends up on an epic adventure in purgatory.
I found the parts of the book set in the “real world” a little slow and Li Lan just a tad annoying. However, the peek into Malayan culture in 1800s Malacca was intriguing and the author’s narration of the audiobook a particular pleasure to hear.
Once the action moves into the realm of the dead, the story is fantastic. Ghosts, demons, dragons and all manner of strange creatures inhabit the dreamy, haunting world created by Yangsze Choo (based on Chinese folk religion). A murder mystery, and let’s say, unusual family drama, are also thrown into the mix.
So, if you enjoy weird, wonderful and completely enjoyable trips into fantasy worlds that just happen to be inhabited by ghosts and demons, then this book is for you.
Rating: 82/100
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