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

This book started out telling a Chinese folklore about a fox that can shapeshift. Then it went on to include detective that is able to tell if a person is telling a lie because he can hear a slight sound when they start to speak. The book goes on with a courtesan being found frozen in a doorway and eldest sons dying before their twenty-fourth birthday. Between mortals, spirits, humans and beasts and what happens when they come together, I was over my head in Chinese culture. The book simply did not hold my interest.

Choo’s 2019 best seller (and a Reese’s Book Club Pick) “The Night Tiger” was a fabulous read. Choo again brings in fantasy with reality and once you accept it, you’re hooked. Set in 1908 Manchuria, the story is told by two people, and I use the term loosely as one of them is a fox which in Asian culture depicts a spirit having magical powers and often seen as human. Bao, an old man who since a childhood encounter with a fox spirit can detect lies, is a detective hired to find a “wife” a wealthy man has basically imprisoned but who escaped. Ah San, a young woman who is the mortal version of a fox named Snow is seeking revenge on a photographer who killed her daughter/kit for her coat to use in his pictures. The two seem on their own paths though of course they begin to intersect. Throughout Ah San’s narration there is intriguing talk of a thousand-year journey and at the end she says “…if you’re at least a little fond of foxes …leave out an offering of fried tofu…we may come and visit you one fine summer evening”. Magical.

Summary: In the icy clutches of winter, a young woman is discovered frozen in the snow. Whispers of fox involvement add a touch of mystique to her demise, prompting Bao, a detective known for his keen nose for truth, to embark on a quest to unveil her secrets. As Bao delves into the mystery, a family grappling with a generational curse encounters a mysterious woman who might change their luck—or doom them further.


Pros:
🌟 With a stellar 4-star rating, "The Fox Wife" charms with its enchanting prose and captivating storytelling. Yangsze Choo weaves a spellbinding story that transports readers to a world where folklore dances with the reality of life.

😄 As a fan of Choo's previous work, "The Night Tiger," the author's signature prose and storytelling prowess shine brightly. The evocative setting and well-drawn characters effortlessly draw readers into the enigmatic world of Manchuria.

😄 The characters leap off the page with their depth and complexity, inviting readers into their world of secrets and sorrows. From the tenacious detective Bao to the enigmatic fox spirit, each character adds layers to the beauty of the story.

🦊 The inclusion of Asian mythology and fox lore adds richness and depth to the story, offering a glimpse into a world steeped in tradition and magic.

Cons:
📘 While the overall tale is bewitching, a minor quibble whispers through the snowy pines—the pacing occasionally lingers. Like a fox navigating through a snowdrift, the pace may have lost its swift stride in certain places.


In conclusion, "The Fox Wife" is a delightful romp through a world of mystery and myth, where foxes and mortals tread the delicate balance between truth and legend. With its captivating prose and rich storytelling, Yangsze Choo enchants readers with a tale that lingers long after the snow has melted. 🦊❄️

Disclaimer: A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for providing this ARC. As for the opinions expressed here, well, they're as unpredictable as a fox's antics in the snow—unpredictable, but undeniably entertaining. 📚✨

A beautiful tale of people and foxes, loss and revenge, love and murder, endings and beginnings.

Once upon a time in Manchuria in the early 1900’s, there existed a group of characters…people, mostly, but a few foxes too…who met, connected, and wrought havoc in one another’s lives. In Chinese folklore, foxes can assume human form. They may beguile or trick humans to gain money, break hearts, or steal qi (life force)i. Or perhaps foxes, like people, are just trying to get by in a world that is full of danger….it depends upon whom you ask. In The Fox Wife, we meet a fox named Snow who is pursing a man whom she blames for the death of her child, an elderly man named Bao who can tell whether a person is telling a truth or a lie and uses that ability to act as a sort of private detective, and members of the Huang family who are the proprietors of a famous medicine shop and who are unable to shake a family curse. There are several different mysteries at play, so in some ways this is a detective story. But it is also the tale of a woman’s terrible loss and the lengths to which she will go to exact justice. There are loves that have been lost, foolish adventures that young men sometimes make, and obsessions galore. In short, it is hard to distill this novel down to a set category, but it is one well worth reading. I was fascinated by the lore behind the fox, and hearing about it not only from the humans who create it but the foxes themselves who live it and can distinguish myth from fact…foxes, Snow tells us, are living creatures just like humans, only usually better looking. Life for a female fox is doubly hard….in a world run by men, its not an easy existence to live as either a small pretty fox or a beautiful young woman. The unfortunate facts of life for women in China at this time in history, young or old, are woven into the story as well. This is a saga elegantly told, with characters well-drawn and (mostly) hard to resist, the various plots and pursuits leading gradually to an intersection of them all. Readers who have enjoyed books like The Tiger’s Wife by Téa Obreht, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and The Princess Bride by William Goldman should incorporate The Fox Wife into their TBR pile. Just remember….don’t talk about foxes, and don’t fall in love with them. Many thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Company for allowing me access to this beautifully written novel.

I knew before picking up The Fox Wife that it would be good. It’s Yangsze Choo, after all, and a book I’ve been waiting five years for. But that five year wait was so worth it. More authors should put us through that I feel. The waiting is part of the reading experience!

Anyway, The Fox Wife follows two characters: the fox wife, on a quest for revenge after the death of her daughter, and a detective, Bao, hired after an unidentified dead body is found in an alley. Their paths start out looking disparate but will eventually converge, as it becomes clearer and clearer that this death ties into the fox wife’s own journey.

As with Yangsze Choo’s previous two books, this is a slowburning kind of mystery (the best kind, in my fully unbiased opinion). It takes a little while to get going — which is not to say I found it difficult to get into, but I can see how someone might. But in a good way! It’s setting the scene for when things start to unfold. And while I feel that Choo isn’t a writer who fills her historical fiction with copious amounts of detail, she still is able to sketch out a world that comes to life off the page.

Part of that also comes down to the narrative voice. I feel like there aren’t that many contemporary authors who write with such a distinctive voice as Choo does, which is great because her characters then also feel vibrant and alive. They’re also just a whole lot of fun. You never want to find the characters of a book (particularly one you might call typically character-driven like this) boring, and that’s never the case when it comes to Yangsze Choo.

Really, I don’t have all that much to say about this one: I enjoyed it a lot and it got me out of a run of a couple of 1-star reads. If you’ve never read a book by Yangsze Choo before, let this be a sign to start! This, while not my favourite of her three, would be a very solid start.

What a beautiful five-star read! Taking place in a lush, mystical world with themes of loss, grief, and second chances, The Fox Wife was everything I could have wished for in a historical Asian folklore story.

I have never read any of Yangsze Choo's other novels before reading this one so what really caught my eye was the simplistic yet beautiful cover which reminded me of the art I used to see in Chinese folklore books that I read as a child. And when I discovered that The Fox Wife is a novel centering around just that very thing, I knew I had to read it.

Although, after reading a string of a few Asian folklore-inspired books that I was very excited for but ended up missing the mark for me, I went into The Fox Wife cautiously. And yet, despite my wariness The Fox Wife easily became one of my favorite 2024 reads (even though 2024 has just started!) and will definitely be on my To-Be-Recommended list.

I was immediately hooked by the stunning writing style: lush without being too flowery and personal without being awkwardly intimate. Additionally, I found that the dual perspective storytelling of Snow and Bao worked so well in tandem with each other. The knowledge of the inevitability of their eventual crossing of paths made both stories so intriguing.

I loved Snow as a main female character. Her quiet strength and fortitude shone throughout the story and I truly felt reactive emotions when the story of her history unfolded over the course of the novel. Bao, the male main character, added depth to the story and, though I did enjoy Snow's chapters more than Bao's, I did really appreciate being able to experience this story from both sides: the fox and the fox hunter.

A few notes on aspects of the story that didn't bother me but could change other people's opinion:
- An unchanging alternative chapter format of Snow's POV, then Bao's POV, the Snow's POV, etc.
- Snow's POV was in first-person perspective while Bao's was in third-person perspective
- There was the occasional footnote during some of Snow's chapters
- Definitely a slower read as I felt that I did really have to read each sentence and paragraph to follow the plot
- A theme of loss (of a child)

All in all, I loved this book for quite a few reasons. One being the great balance of world-building, character development, and plot. All aspects were very well done, in my view, and I didn't feel that there was any sort of info-dumping, even though there certainly could have been opportunities to do so. Another reason was imply how well I felt it reflected Chinese/Asian folklore. Growing up with some of my parent's stories, as well as reading the lovable Grace Lin folklore stories, The Fox Wife took me back to those moments, albeit with more of an adult-centered story.

Absolutely gorgeous. What is there to say but Yangsze Choo gets better with every book and the Ghost Bride was perfection. Which makes The Fox Wife beyond perfection. Lovely story, beautifully written, great pacing. I liked the mythical aspect to the story. I can’t wait for the next because you know it will be just as exquisite. Highly recommend. 5/5.

Fox spirits are known to to be cunning and clever creatures who lure people by transforming themselves into beautiful humans. In 1908, Snow leaves her den in the grasslands to seeking vengeance for her lost child, a trail that will lead her from China to Japan. Meanwhile Bao, a detective, investigates the death of an unknown courtesan found frozen in the snow. As Bao follows Snow's trail, they both meet friends and foes and navigate the truths and myths about fox spirits. 

Yangsze Choo presents an enchanting premise with gorgeous magical realism rooted in Chinese mythology regarding foxes. Yet, the story itself was felt lacking. Choo's narrative is slow to develop, which would be fine except the plot is also anticlimactic. The combo leaves you wanting more: more development, more emotional connection, and more resolution.

Thank you NetGalley, Henry Holt & Company, and Macmillan Audio for an eARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review!

The Fox Wife is a wonderfully atmospheric and slow story with beautiful prose and excellent characters. It is told from two POVs: Snow, a fox spirit on the quest for revenge, and Bao, a detective who had a childhood encounter with a fox spirit. I really enjoyed seeing the ways their stories intertwined and the amount of folklore and mythology Choo wove into the story. This is what I’d call a quiet novel, but it was still captivating.

The strongest feature here is Choo’s ability to write characters and give them their own unique voices; sometimes I have trouble differentiating voices and have to take a second to reorient myself, but that wasn’t the case here. Snow definitely felt like a stronger voice and had a more compelling story to me, but I still found myself engaged with Bao’s side of things. This was immersive and I really liked waiting to see how the story unfolded. It’s definitely the kind of book I plan on re-reading, and I think it’s the kind of book you will be able to find new things to marvel at with each read.

It’s a rare and beautiful thing when the author narrates their own book, and Choo did such a lovely job here that I felt that it added to the overall atmosphere.

I always find it interesting when authors compare and contrast their characters. The best heroes and villains, after all, are two sides of the same coin: alike in drive and often goal, too, but who take very different routes to get there. There is no hero or villain among the main characters of Yangsze Choo's The Fox Wife, but its two main characters are at once wildly alike and completely different from the other.

It's not easy to travel without a coin to your name and only the stolen clothes on your back, but Snow is determined to make it work. After all, nothing but geography lies between her and a photographer, Bektu Nikan—the man who killed her daughter. It is true that Bektu Nikan could not have possibly known that the baby fox he abused to the point of giving it a long and painful death was a magical fox spirit, but that level of animal abuse deserves some revenge, anyway. Snow tracks him to a port city but needs time—and resources—to find him in the bustling city. An offered job as a servant to an older woman seems like just what the doctor ordered.

Meanwhile, Bao, a widower who has always had an uncanny ability to tell truth from lies, has been tasked with finding the true identity of a, ahem, lady of pleasure who died on the stoop of a local restaurant. There's no apparent cause of death, but the restauranteur is worried that, if the proper rites are not completed for the deceased, he will find himself with a haunted restaurant. Bao's search quickly suggests a magical fox might have been involved. But he also finds ties to a photographer named Bektu Nikan, and a photograph of a beguiling young woman. As talk of revolution amidst the waning days of the Qing Empire makes tensions rise, Bao and Snow's paths intertwine, with the mysterious Bektu Nikan in each of their crosshairs.

Though both characters in this dual-narrative story singlemindedly trek toward the same ultimate goal, they also share a deep sadness that changes their motivations in different ways. Snow's sorrow fuels her rage; Bao's recent loss of his wife, and the still-smarting loss of his first love when he was a teenager, cause him to reflect on how he has lived out his sixty-plus years of life and what matters most for however much time he has left. The actions of decades before reverberate to the present for both characters in ways as unique to them as their characters are from each other. As different as they are, they're both compelling in their own ways, and I couldn't help but root for both—even as it seemed their objectives directly contradicted the other's.

But that showdown doesn't come until late in the book, when many of the consequences of earlier choices have already come home to roost. There are far more pressing problems at hand, like blackmail, murder, coercion, very bad food poisoning, and more magical foxes to compound the chaos. As the various plotlines come together, the story does verge on zany, but successfully toes the line. And for a story that started with death and revenge, I was happy to allow Choo some coincidences (or, perhaps, twists of fate) to lead the characters to an improbably happy ending.

This review will appear at https://ringreads.com/2024/02/13/fox-wife-a-magical-tale-of-revenge-really/ on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, at 3:16 p.m. MST.

After a photographer murders her daughter, a fox spirit sets out in search for revenge, and, as bodies start piling up, it isn't long before a detective is on her tail.

The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo weaves a captivating fabulist tale interwoven with mythology and folklore.

However, going into this book, I think it's important to note that this is not a fast-paced revenge thriller. It's a journey. It’s a non-linear slowburn, and around the 40% mark the narrative pieces clicked together and I became fully invested in its characters.

By far the most interesting part of the story for me was the complicated relationship dynamics between the three main foxes and how the story explores their long-life spans in a changing world. The story takes place primarily in the early 1900s and follows the foxes as they have an increasingly difficult time concealing their identity and avoiding persecution with the advancement of photography and other technology. This made it feel like a very grounded, believable spin on fox spirits.

Overall, this is an achingly beautiful story about love, loss, and loneliness that will linger with you even after you finish its final pages.