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!

This book was beautifully written and read from beginning to end. The mythology and folklore was transporting. So thoughtfully done. (Don’t skip the acknowledgments!!) Each character became dear to me and I miss them terribly.

The murder mystery element was so fun and had me riveted, twisting and turning until the end. And the story of grief, love, & belonging that was woven through it all was so achingly sweet I cried.

So often I pick up a book and hope it’s something like this, what a treat the audio book was!

Posted on Goodreads:

3.25/5 ⭐️

East Asian culture and fox mythology come together in this historical fiction that follows two POVs.

We have Snow, a fox who’s been able to live hundreds of years and on the path of what some foxes think of as enlightenment for following certain ways of living for a thousand years. A path that went awry when her fox cub daughter was cruelly murdered. Thus embarking her on a two year journey of revenge.

We have Bao who was on the brink m of dying as a child until a nanny begged a fox god to save his life. Giving Bao the great ability to detect when someone is lying and also being punished for committing lies himself. He’s now an independent investigator who gets hired to find out the identity of a frozen girl found by a restaurant.

Both timelines merge into one and bring forth a beautifully written story. The downside is this was an incredibly slow read. The story moved at a painfully glacial pace and I struggled to keep interested. Or awake.

I believe this would have been a perfect novella or novel on the shorter end. There was too much repetition and dragging of story.

As a revenge story, I was expecting something a bit darker and more empowering. But alas it ended up being a damsel being saved and that left a sour taste.

Thank you netgalley, Henry holt and co and author for the opportunity to read this arc.

For fans of Chinese superstitions, historical fiction, suspense and magical realism, this new novel is for you!

The Fox Wife is told through two storylines: that of Snow (Ah San) a young woman looking for a photographer that might lead her to avenge the death of her child and Bao, a lonely man turned amateur detective who is trying to find the identity of an unknown murdered woman found outside a local restaurant. Set in Manchuria in the early 20th century, Bao and Snow’s journeys will eventually collide with a satisfying conclusion.

This novel will immerse you in the superstition of foxes who can switch from animal to human form. The characters are well fleshed out and although the story takes some time to get into, the pace does eventually pick up. It’s a stroll through time and some magical realism thrown in.

Thank you to @netgalley and @henryholtbooks for the digital review copy This book is out on 2/13/24.

I was given an ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo is a historical retelling of East Asian folklore stories of foxes, particularly in Japan and China. Told in dual-POV, Snow is a fox woman who is looking for revenge while Bao is an older detective whose life has been intertwined with foxes ever since he and his childhood friend gave an offering to a fox shrine.

Snow’s POV is in the first person while Bao’s is in third and they are given roughly an equal amount of time as they chase down Bektu Nikan, a Manchurian photographer. Snow goes all the way to Japan while Bao is not too far behind, picking up various pieces along the way as he talks to courtesans and reminiscences on his childhood.

I loved how the mystery elements were used in Bao’s POV and the hints we got of Snow’s past that all culminate right towards the end. I’m always a fan of being given the pieces to figure things out for myself but still have it revealed in a way I wasn’t expecting and this really delivered on several points. I also loved the dynamics between Snow, Kuro, and Shiro.
I would recommend this to fans of East Asian folklore, fans of historical fiction following female leads, and readers looking for a hint of mystery in their historical fantasy.

I enjoyed this book (read and listened to the audiobook at the same time). I am with asian mythology of Fox Spirits legends so it was easy of me to grasped the concept and the lore.
Overall this story was enjoyable- there were parts I felt were a little drawn out and slow but the audiobook really helped and I enjoyed having the opportunity to listen to Yangsze Choo.

The Fox Wife follows Snow and Bao. Snow is a fox who seeks to find vengeance for the death of her child. She is seeking her child's murderer while encountering/becoming a servant to a family who owns a famous Chinese medicine shop and helps them ward the family curse.
While Bay- is an investigator uncovering mysterious death that many believe is related to fox spirits. He goes on the an adventure uncovering myths and misconceptions of the fox spirits while eventually intersecting with Snow and her journey.

Note: It would be nice to mark which POV was the start of each chapter and reminder of where they are located. (example Boa- China/ Snow-Japan). Since both stories are within the same timeline.


Thank you netgalley, Henry Holt & Company and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read/listen to this beautiful story.

3.5/5 stars

The journey through this book was less exciting than I had anticipated it would be, but was still written in a way that kept me intrigued throughout. The writing and our main character were the main points of my enjoyment of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to review!
Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 5
Pace: 4
Plot development: 4
Characters: 4
Enjoyability: 4
Ease of Reading: 4

Overall rating: 4 out of 5

Death and vengeance!

There’s a lot to recommend in this tale. The fascinating background of 1908 Manchuria, mythical characters such as the fox gods, in particular Ah San meaning “snow” who is seeking vengeance for the killing of her daughter, and Detective Bao Gong who can detect when someone lies. He’s seeking the identity of a courtesan who was found sitting dead in the snow and smiling. He believes a fox is involved. He has a history with the fox gods, tricksters or something more?
The story of these two slowly intertwines as both travel with others to Japan.
A moving story, beautiful in its execution. Here the slowness meanders to the heart of the matter. Second chance romance is in the offing.
I burned with anger over Ah San’s daughter’s cruel death.
Just love the cover btw. So simple yet evocative reflecting the tale.

A Henry Holt ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

A twisty, entwined tale of two people on a collision course in 1908 Manchuria and Japan. Snow is a fox-a fox who has transformed into a woman to find Bektu, the man who killed her child. Bao is a detective who has taken on the case of identifying a young woman found dead in an alley with a smile on her face. His story is told back and forth in time as he hunts for the murderer. Snow arrives in Dalian and finds employment with the older woman of a family whose eldest son always dies when another son is born. This son, Bohai, sets things in motion for Snow and the rest when he and his pals head to Japan for purposes which are not initially clear. This is admittedly a tad slow but the mysteries, both of the murder and of Snow's back story and present, kept me turning the pages. I liked it for the folklore, for the characters, for the plotting and the storytelling. It's an interesting historical novel as well (it does help to have a sense at least of China during the period). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is the book Choo's fans have been waiting for and new readers will embrace it as well.

While I enjoyed the atmospheric build up of this charming folk story, I found myself disconnected and having to reread a lot of what I initially read. I was curious about the direction of the characters, but by the time I was able to connect with one, the story changed gears with a new character arc. “The Fox Wife” had lots of potential for creating an immersive experience for readers, but I feel like it was mostly lost in trying to put the puzzle pieces together.
While the concept was clever and unique, I felt like the execution was somewhat lacking.

*Thank you NetGalley for providing the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Manchuria, 1908: Bao, a detective of stellar reputation, is called in to find the identity of an unknown woman found frozen to death on a doorstep. Bao has a gift for detecting lies as they hum in the air around him. His search takes him to the private estate of Wang, a wealthy merchant, from whose estate a young woman has escaped. Wang covets her beauty and demands her return. Bao tracks the woman to Dalian, where a bout of food poisoning forces him to seek out a Chinese medicine shop.

Snow is a grieving young wife on a revenge mission, searching for a photographer responsible for the death of her daughter. In Dalian, Snow (now Ah San) becomes servant and companion to the older fourth wife of a Chinese medicine merchant whose grandson, Bohai, is threatened by a family curse in which firstborn boys always die young. Ah San travels with her mistress to Japan, where Bohai is studying, but tragedy befalls the group on the return journey. When Bao is called in to investigate, he crosses paths with Ah San and her mistress, fulfilling a lifelong yearning he doesn’t expect.

Choo’s tale is of ancient superstition, based on Chinese fable and myth, as she weaves separate narratives seamlessly into one, through Bao’s and Ah San’s journeys towards enlightenment. She gives us a tantalizing glimpse into Chinese culture: belief that wicked women are foxes, reviled as tricksters. Meanwhile, the charismatic handsome males are feared and revered and do as they please. Choo’s ability to blur lines between folklore and historical reality is masterly. Her characters are as tangible as if they were standing in front of you. It wasn’t difficult to fall for their seductive charm and wiliness in this spellbinding novel, which had me enchanted from beginning to end.

THE FOX WIFE by Yangsze Choo is a highly atmospheric folklore-driven tale centering on two protagonists in Qing Dynasty-era China. In the first storyline, a fox named Snow is on a quest for vengeance against a photographer whom she believes was involved in her fox cub daughter’s death. Snow, in human form (don’t ask how or why foxes can sometimes become humans), is hired to work as a servant for the matriarch of a family that owns a traditional Chinese medicine shop, which provides her cover while she tries to track down the photographer. Meanwhile, Bao is a private investigator with an uncanny ability to detect lies. He’s scrutinizing who—or what—is behind the death of a beautiful courtesan found in an alley after a freezing night.

The highlight of this book is Choo’s crisp, elegant prose that effectively evokes a time and a place, as well as the Asian folklore vibe, something that I’m absolutely here for. I also enjoyed Snow’s vivacious and coy narrative voice. Yet one thing I noticed in this novel that didn’t bother me in THE NIGHT TIGER is it feels like Choo builds suspense in fabricated ways that don’t necessarily deliver. The alternating storylines allow each chapter to end on a cliffhanger, but when we get back to the plot, much of the time, nothing actually happens. In particular, Snow’s storyline, which hinges on avenging her daughter’s death, feels like the wind is taken out of its sails prematurely.

I’d still recommend THE FOX WIFE for readers who want to be immersed in a vivid reimagining of early 1900s Manchuria, who enjoy the twists and turns of intrigue, and who appreciate a heartwarming ending. This is a cozy, wholesome mystery, and sometimes you need that (I’ll read anything Choo writes!).

Thank you @henryholtbooks @netgalley for the eARC.

This book is a slow burn, but if you can hang in there it is SO worth it.

This book is a story about revenge. It's told from dual perspectives, one is a young female fox shifter and the other is an older man that is working as an investigator. Since this is not a plot-driven story, you really get to know these two characters and everyone they meet along the way.

It is such a beautiful story based on Asian mythology and I'm glad I stuck with it.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review. I loved Night Tiger so I was excited to read The Fox Wife as well.

For anyone (like me) who likes to read quite fast, be prepared to adjust your flow as the book does start off pretty slow. Because of this, it took me longer to get going at first but then the two stories merge so beautifully.

The year is 1908. We start with a young woman found dead in the snow. We follow two main characters, Snow and Bao. Snow is a Fox spirit on a secret personal mission to seek vengeance for the death of her daughter two years ago. Bao, an investigator who has an affinity for detecting lies, is hired to discover who the young girl found in the snow is. As he investigates, Bao hears rumors of foxes which reminds him of his childhood friend, Tagtaa, and is now on Snow's trail.

I enjoyed this. The two MC stories wove together so well. Love, tragedy, loss, rekindling of old friends.

Yangsze Choo is one of my favorite authors. She has such beautiful writing and blends history and folklore so so well. So of course I knew that I would enjoy this book - and I did! Though I will say it is my least favorite out of her 3 novels. Anyone who loves Katherine Arden and Naomi Novik should really check out Choo's novels.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Did not finish @35%
Book - 1 Star
Audiobook - 4 stars for narration

I am so disappointed. I absolutely love this author and was so excited to read this book [with its STUNNING cover] and then I started it and...sigh. I started it and found that 1. it was the super-popular trope of a dual POV [UGH!] and 2. it was...boring. Super boring. I found I didn't care about the characters, or the story, or...anything. I was making myself read it every day, and was so relieved when that day's reading was done. I realized then, that I need to just DNF the book and move on; I am very sad to have to quit, but also relieved because I just was not loving this.

I am so glad that I had this audiobook ARC; truly, the authors narration was the thing that kept me going as far as I did in the book. Her soft lyrical voice is just so lovely and I hope that she continues to narrate the books she writes [because I will absolutely keep reading her, regardless of how I felt about this book] because she does an amazing job!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Yangsze Choo [author/narrator], Henry Holt & Company, and Macmillan Audio for providing the eBook and audiobook ARC's in exchange for an honest review.

Yangsze Choo's writing is as rich and delicious as always, layered with intricate folklore, fickle, funny characters and necessary historical context. I read The Night Tiger quite a few years ago at this point, so I can't draw any stronger comparisons between the two, but something about her work left enough of an impression to have me jumping for her newest release.

My complaints, if I have any, are that the two simultaneous mysteries/pursuits unfolding across the narrative made it a little difficult to keep some of the details straight—who knows whom, what tidbit is going to be a surprise for which character—all the details that make a good mystery so compelling. However, I liked both of the main characters so much (as well as their personal backstories), that this didn't bother me; the details all came together in the end.

If I were to recommend this book to anyone, it wouldn't necessarily be to the mystery/thriller girlies. I think The Fox Wife will be more appealing to readers of mythology retellings, like Circe or the Witches Heart, or perhaps literary thrillers—like Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead.

Thank you to Henry Holt for the opportunity to read and review!!

2.5 stars
Pro:
* Trademark Choo blend of fantasy and realism.
* Snow’s narrative
Con:
* Again with multiple points of view in a ping-pong fashion. I’m so so tired of this gimmick. To say it has been overdone js an understatement. It’s impossible to get really invested when you’re getting bounced back and forth
* Aren’t “crazy like a fox” and “revenge is a dish best served cold” Western idioms? They feel out of place.
* Moves slowly with the artificial moving between perspectives. Disappointing.

Thank you to Yangsze Choo, Henry Holt & Co., and NetGalley for an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review