From the beginning, I was intrigued by this connection of foxes to beguiling women, bewitching presences, and this idea of a joyful moment in consumption. In The Fox Wife we mostly look through the eyes of Bao and Snow. I will say, this book is slow. It has an unhurried lead up to trying to get a good sense of who both these characters are. I will say that The Fox Wife is committed to character development and detail. But because of that, just be prepared for a slower lead up especially if you're expecting more mystery and revenge.

4/5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co. for the advanced copy of The Fox Wife!

The Fox Wife is a slow-building story of whimsy, magic, and folklore set in 1908 Manchuria following Bao, a detective, and a mystifying young woman seeking retribution.

Despite a dragging start, The Fox Wife is an immensely beautiful story of spirits walking amongst the human world, with an often charming and witty voice that captivated me. It took me a while to get through, but I was ultimately dazzled by the convergence of characters and stories (and surprisingly, a really beautiful story of love…”you are my heart’s treasure,” *sobs*).

This would not be my typical read, and it was very dense and often difficult to get through at times (hence the four stars). However, this is definitely a read to consider if you are a fan of folklore and magic

In 1908 Manchuria, a courtesan found frozen to death in a doorway leads to rumors of fox spirits. They lure people by transforming themselves into beautiful women and handsome men. Bao is a detective hired to uncover the dead woman’s identity. At the same time, a family with a famous Chinese medicine shop can cure illness but not the curse that has eldest sons die before their twenty-fourth birthdays. When Snow enters their household as a new servant, the family’s luck seems to change. She has many secrets, but above all she's looking for the one that murdered her child. She follows the trail from China to Japan, Bao following her in turn.

In the traditional stories, foxes are tricksters intent on harming humans for fun, and we see one of those tales as the opening of this novel. We meet Snow, on the hunt for her daughter's killer, and a series of events send her to the medicine hall of the cursed Huang family. Over the course of the novel, we learn the story of the family and the grandmother that she's hired on to help, as well as Bao's story and the struggles he had along the way to becoming an investigator. He can discern truth from lies and eventually discovers how he developed that ability. His story dovetails not just because of the investigation, but because of his past.

I lived the book, with its interwoven history and folklore. Foxes are still feared, but ultimately are people. They grieve and love and long for connections, which is where the issues with humans come from. They're supernatural creatures, and susceptible humans react badly to that power. Snow is the fox wife of the title, unwittingly setting into motion some of the complications we see in the book. Others are not, but she's caught up in their wake just the same. We have a great conclusion to the tale, and it feels like one of the many myths circulating about foxes. I adore this book and how its story was told.

This book started out a bit slowly but I loved the atmosphere and characters, and the way the story gradually pulls you in. In Manchuria, 1908, Snow is a woman/fox who is hunting her child’s killer. She takes a position as an assistant to an elderly woman who runs the local medicine shop. The family is under a curse where no eldest son lives beyond 24, and the woman’s grandson is 23 and a new child is on the way. At the same time, Bao is a detective who can tell when someone is lying (a gift from when his nanny prayed to the fox gods). He’s investigating the death of a woman found outside in the snow, when he begins to hear stories of another mysterious woman, a fox spirit.

The story is primarily told from two points of view, Snow’s and Bao’s, and I appreciated that the two characters were written so differently, there was never any question of who was narrating. Bao is a tough old guy who has never gotten over the loss of his childhood love. He’s saddled with a gift/curse that leaves him fascinated by fox spirits. He’s never understood why he has this mysterious ability. And as with many gifts, he’s also lost something – his shadow.

Snow is a grieving mother, and we’ll find out that she’s lost more than just her child. As a fox she’s had many unique experiences and she’s much stronger and wiser than the young woman she appears to be. I like the way Choo frequently references the characteristics of foxes in describing her and the other fox characters. They are wily tricksters, and they are powerful but also vulnerable. They can entice and confuse, make people forget themselves. As Choo points out, there is danger in this, because seduction can’t be controlled.

Choo explains that she has spun her story around old Chinese mythology about fox spirits. While there is a lot of fantasy, there is also a lot of realism. It’s a great detective story, told through interviews and a step by step tracking of events. I remember enjoying Choo’s The Night Tiger for the same reason. While it took some effort to keep track of the different characters and chronologies (for example, the events in Bao’s childhood, and the activities of the three young men that Snow is traveling with). This book reminded me in some ways of Violet Kupersmith’s haunting Build Your House Around My Body (see this post for more recommendations of books that blend history and fantasy).

There’s not a lot of history in the book; we hear references to the ruling Qing dynasty and there’s some discussion of revolutionaries, but the history is very much in the background. There are a number of cities mentioned, that I had no familiarity with, but it wasn’t too difficult to follow the movements of the characters.

I loved the way Choo blends Chinese fantasy, mystery, history, and language throughout the novel. I had some issues with the pacing, particularly towards the beginning and the end, but I really appreciated the complexity of the characters (like the way Snow wrestles with her need for vengeance) and their relationships, and I wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen to all of them. This is a slow-paced, complicated story with beautiful imagery.

Note: I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and publisher Henry Holt & Co. This book was published February 13, 2024.

The Fox Wife is definitely a slow burn. It takes a bit to get going but once it does boy is it magical. It is a historical fiction set in China. Full of mystery and magic it was a wonderful tale. I enjoyed it much more than i thought I would.

I requested an ARC of The Fox Wife after reading an excerpt in NetGalley's BuzzBooks sampler. I was instantly captivated by Choo's beautiful prose, as well as the world she created.

Both of these elements continued to be two of my favorite aspects of The Fox Wife, an ambitious novel with a tremendously large cast of characters, alternating POV chapters, and multiple timelines, all of which culminated in a dramatic conclusion.

I'll admit, this novel was a challenge to read. The every-other-chapter shifts between Snow's first-person narration and Bao's third-person perspective were a little jarring. Additionally, there were so many characters and details to keep track of. I felt that I needed to be taking notes as I went along. With that said, I loved Choo's style of writing, and I was intrigued by the story the whole way through. Without giving anything away, I will also add that I loved the resolution and was quite happy with the direction the author chose to take the story in the end.

What I loved:
- Choo's incredible storytelling abilities and beautiful writing
- the fox folklore, and the way it was seamlessly woven into the story
- the ending

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced copy!

Thank you Net Galley, Henry Holt and Co,. and Yangsze Choo for the opportunity to read The Fox Wife. This is a descriptive and beautifully written story of humans, spirits and magical animals. It is filled with intriguing moments of murder, mystery, revenge and the power of love and family relationships. It is interesting to observe the treatment of men and women during this time period and setting. All of this put together produced quite the story.
I did have difficulty with the multiple narrators. I wish each chapter was labeled with who was telling the story at this time. I also had trouble keeping the characters and time periods organized in my mind. I felt I understood bits and pieces of characters, storylines and magical elements. I wasn't sure if I was putting everything together the correct way. This genre is out of my comfort zone. Maybe that is why I had difficulty with comprehending all the details.

Every now and then, I choose a book on Netgalley because the publisher's description speaks to me. I'm always game for a story about a strong (badass is my preferred term) and cultural mythology and history is an added bonus. This is once instance when that gamble paid off. This is a beautiful novel, and I'm so grateful to the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

I particularly loved Snow, a grieving mother fox determined to avenge the death of her daughter. Her story brilliantly weaves in with that of Bao, a laconic police detective who has a lifelong reverence for the fox. The story is magic, and I can't wait to go back to read Yangsze Choo's previous work.

The Fox Wife draws you into turn of the century China, in 1908 and a world of magical realism where the fox spirit really exists. According to Chinese folklore, the fox spirit is a shifter that can appear as a beautiful person who enchants humans. Like folklore in many other cultures, this fox is a trickster who can charm people to give them their desires. The story is written from two opposing points of view. It begins with Bao, a sixty-year-old detective who has the uncanny ability to recognize lies when he hears them. He is brought in to find out the identity of a dead woman. With this beginning, one might expect a mystery novel, but this task is merely an event that evolves into a quest to find two people who he begins to believe are fox spirits. The story than switches to Snow who is a woman searching to avenge the death of her daughter.

Snow is written in the first person and the reader is privy to her anguish, thirst for revenge, and empathy with humans. It is through her character that we learn about fox folklore and how foxes have to carefully behave to avoid being caught. The fox characters, mirror the role of women in that society for they also have to live carefully by the rules and can be so easily mistreated. We sympathize with her for her loss of her child and empathize with her attempt on the 1000-year quest of righteous behavior.

Bao, on the other hand, is written in the third person and his story wanders between the present day, childhood memories and strange dreams. As a child, he prayed to a fox god and believes that his uncanny talent is fox given. I found him a quite interesting character and couldn't wait for him to find all the characters that he was destined to meet up with.

The author does a fantastic job of world building. The turn of the century Asian scenery is easily visualized. The characters are written with depth, and I loved reading about all the major characters. Unfortunately, this book is a slow read. It meanders through several smaller plots and takes a bit too long to reach its conclusion. For that reason, it might not be your cup of tea. However, if you don't mind the slower pace, it is a fantastic book.

I wish to thank the publishers, Henry Holt and Company along with NetGalley for a PDF review copy of the book. I can honestly recommend this book to folklore fans and lovers of historical fiction and magical realism.

Definitely a MASTERPIECE. Stunning lyrical and poignant writing, relatable characters, and a story that grips at the heart. A must-have for ANY collection. Cannot stress this enough.

This stunning, cinematic tale of detectives and fox people in the sunset of Manchurian-ruled China is one of the most thoughtful multi-sleuth mysteries I’ve had the pleasure of reading in a while!

Our titular heroine prefers to go by the name Snow. She is, indeed, a fox wife out of legend, capable of switching between fox and human forms with relative ease:

QUOTE
I exist either as a small canid with thick fur, pointed ears, and neat black feet, or a young woman. Neither are safe forms in a world run by men. Frankly, I’d prefer to look like someone’s grandmother; that would at least give me some dignity appropriate to my years. Which leads me to note [...] that though most tales focus on the beautiful female foxes who live by devouring <i>qi</i>, or life force, little is said about the males. Women who run around willfully doing whatever they please are bound to be censured. A handsome, cunning man is a different matter. Most male foxes are only forced to retire or fake their deaths when their uncanny, ageless looks start to disturb people. Don’t get me started on the unfairness of this[.]
END QUOTE

Snow had been happy enough to live in the grasslands of the remote provinces of Northern China with her family, until her only child was taken from her. Now she’s on a mission of vengeance, determined to track down and punish the men who irrevocably shattered her life.

Her journey is not, of course, without its obstacles or opponents. But her greatest adversary comes not in the form of yet another licentious, grasping man who wants to trap her for himself, as so many men do. Instead, she must match wits against the honest, unassuming Bao, whose own childhood encounter with fox spirits left him with the uncanny ability to separate the truth from lies. As he’s grown older, he’s parlayed this into a perhaps surprisingly successful career as a detective:

QUOTE
It’s not a profession that officially exists, as far as he knows. But he started finding lost objects, ferreting out the truth, and acting as an intermediary until his services were well-known enough that he felt he could charge for them.

Bao understands his appeal lies partly in his cultured demeanor. A former scholar from a good family who can recite poetry and fathom the secrets of a treacherous heart–this reassures his upper-class clientele. He ponders Mr. Wang’s commission. Finding a missing person isn’t the same as recovering stolen property, let alone a woman who apparently thinks she’s a fox. Some might wonder who is crazed–this woman or Mr. Wang himself?
END QUOTE

As Snow and Bao’s paths converge, bodies begin to turn up in the snow-covered streets, smiling even in the embrace of death. Bao must use every one of his considerable talents to not only help lay the dead’s restless spirits but also to prevent more unnecessary deaths from occurring. When this puts his own life in jeopardy however – right as he’s on the brink of achieving a lifelong dream – will he and Snow be able to set aside their differences in order to finally rectify historic injustices? Or will fate take happiness away from the both of them for good?

This sprawling historical mystery effortlessly incorporates the tumultuous events of 1908 China, as well as the legends and folklore that persist to this day, into a highly entertaining, often thought-provoking account of a mother bent on revenge and the man unwittingly sent to track her down. I loved how sympathetic Snow and Bao are both to each other and to the reader, as Yangsze Choo deftly mirrors their stories just enough to show their underlying kinship, even as it’s clear that they’re very much different individuals with diverging goals and needs. Snow’s story, especially, is a wry modern parable, not only of what it means to be a feminist but also a migrant, forced to rapidly adapt between worlds. I deeply loved this fully inhabited tale of murder and vengeance in a world where it’s taken for granted that spirits are real and that justice, though elusive, can be fought for and attained.

Thank you to the author Yangsze Choo, publishers Henry Holt & Co., and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of THE FOX WIFE. All views are mine.

I enjoyed this wild little book, but I honestly struggled to follow the narrative. The foxes were shapeshifters and also ghosts, and gods, I believe, which I thought was very interesting. The story is extremely detailed, and it was through these I remained engaged from start to finish, not the story itself. This book wasn't all the way "for me," but I recommend it for fans of fantasy, myth, and magical realism.

Rating: 🦊🦊🦊 animal/ghost/gods
Recommend? Sure, for fantasy fans
Finished: Feb 12 '24
Format: Digital arc, Kindle, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
👻 ghost stories
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 family stories
⚔️ warrior stories
🗿 gods and myths
🪄 magical realism

“𝘍𝘰𝘹𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦. 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘰𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦.”

Thanks Netgalley, Henry Holt Books, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced reader copies! This is my first by Choo (and she narrates the audio) and it was quite interesting. She incorporates myths, magical realism, mystery, with themes of family, motherhood, connection, belief, and forgiveness. We are given the POVs of Snow and Bao and it bounces between a few timelines but they are all connected.

It took me a little while to get into it yet at around 30% I grew more and more interested as it is beautifully written. It’s certainly different and won’t be for everyone as it can be slow, long, and there’s not much action on the plot, but give it a fair chance. I do wish there was more depth to the fox folklore and their lifestyle, and Snow’s sections were my favorites (her interactions with other foxes were entertaining and humorous). She’s sharp, witty, and curious as you’d imagine a fox would be.

Content and trigger warnings include death of loved ones, mythical beliefs, quick mentions of animal cruelty and murder. I may have liked reading the book to better keep names straight but I did really enjoy the narration.

The Fox Wife is a richly woven story, hovering on the line between folk tale and modern prose. I was completely absorbed from the first words to the last, and wanted so much to keep living in this space, these words, after it had come to an end. The writing has a dreamy quality, though there's still plenty of humor, action, and suspense within the quiet, elegant lyricism. The plot unfolds like a flower, delicately revealing its connections and divergences; a beautiful, clever, and lingering book, the work of a masterful storyteller.

Thank you to the publisher for the advance review copy.

This story had a strong mythological and whimsical air with an undercurrent of maternal revenge and grief driving it forward. However, it was also very slow and repetitive. I loved the bones but grew weary of the execution.

Prior to reading The Fox Wife, I knew very little of Chinese mythology and nothing at all about fox spirits. Here, I loved getting to learn about these spirits and see them come to life on the pages. Half of the novel is told from the perspective of Snow, a fox spirit currently in the form of a human woman and on a mission of revenge. Through some ruthless cunning on her part and a convenient twist of luck, she starts working as the servant to an elderly woman. That woman’s family—namely her grandson—will be an important key in Snow’s goal of tracking down the man who killed her young daughter. But Snow isn’t the only fox spirit present, and between her and two other fox men—plus the humans they’re traveling with—things will get increasingly complicated.

In addition to Snow’s first-person narrative of revenge, we also get a third-person account of Bao, an older man who has become a private detective after becoming a widower. He has a magical gift of being able to tell truth from lies (this goes back to an event in his childhood), and it serves him well in tracking down missing persons and solving murders. His first case in The Fox Wife is to find out the identity of a woman who died in the streets, a smile on her face. Bao is following a trail that leads him into new mysteries, but at the back of his mind is the ever-present question of whether fox spirits are involved.

I enjoyed the dual-timeline and narrative, with Bao several steps behind what Snow and the others are doing. This novel is a perfect balance of historical fiction, mystery, and fantasy, and I loved seeing how characters and events started to tangle together for an unexpected and climactic end. How might people from your past reemerge now? How can undisclosed connections lead to surprising outcomes? While Bao’s cases keep evolving, so too does Snow’s narrative. What starts as tracking a man down for revenge turns into something more significant.

One question I had throughout the book was in relation to its title: Who is Snow the wife of? What happened to her husband, if she ever had one? What is the full story about her young daughter’s death? Characters come in and out of the story, some only there for a scene, others meant to play a bigger role. It keeps us readers on our toes as we try to unravel this strange tangled web.

If you love your historical fiction with a healthy dose of mystery, fantasy, and mythology, The Fox Wife is an ideal read. It takes place in 1908 throughout northern China and Japan, weaving in cultural and historical elements to create a rich tapestry. It’s filled with thoughtful quotes and observations, shifting characters, and a story that is not what it might first appear. I’ve loved all three of Yangsze Choo’s books so far, and I already can’t wait to read whatever is next for her.

I loved The Night Tiger so I was really excited to receive this arc - a mystery wrapped in myth. The writing was beautiful but unfortunately the story was too slow for my taste. I think many folks will enjoy this one, it just wasn’t for me. Thank you to NetGalley for a chance to read and review this book.

Definitely an interesting story about fox spirits and gods. Set in a wintry China during the last dynasty, the characters also travel to the steppes of Mongolia and over to Japan. While it might not be my favorite Choo (the writing was a little too simple for me), I did enjoy the folklore and mythical aspects of the story. Definitely a though provoking.

I was not expecting to be fully sobbing at the end of a historical fantasy.

The Fox Wife is an introspection into grief, solitude, and womanhood that takes place in 1908 China. A fox-spirit named Snow is on the hunt for revenge no matter the cost, starting a course of events that irrevocably change her life. Her journey converges with that of Bao, a would-be detective with the ability to hear lies who investigates a series of deaths that are shrouded in mystery. The story is emotional, dramatic, and fully nourishing for the soul.

I went into reading the Fox Wife with open eyes and expectations, being entranced by the low fantasy elements and complex plot developments. It certainly paid off: it gives you a plot that slowly unravels itself so you are glued to every page. The pacing is consistent, all the characters are well-rounded, and the plot is dynamic and interesting. This story is certainly more character development than anything, but the struggles of the characters drive the plot in a really intriguing way.

There was also a romantic subplot in the last third of the story that I just was sucked into and had my heart beating out of my chest ❤️

This is a wonderful read for those who love historical fiction but prefer less complex fantasy worldbuilding.

This book has my heart. I have heard of fox spirits that can transform into humans but never encountered an actual story about them. It was fun, entertaining, and rich with Chinese folklore. This literary fiction also dealt with love, loss, and morality. It broke my heart. Tears were shed. The main characters were lovable and made me laugh quite a lot actually. I’m sad to have to part with them so soon.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!