I read a previous book of Choo’s (The Night Tiger), also in audiobook format, and rated it the same. However, it was a while ago, so I didn’t make the connection until just now that it isn’t the author and it certainly isn’t the stories, but I think it is the format that isn’t working well for me.

To start with, the author narrated the audiobook, which was one of the biggest appeals of the audiobook for me. Another was the fact that I could hear the proper pronunciation of the Chinese names and words that I was sure would be included in the story, but to my surprise, Japanese culture and society as well as Mongolian to some degree also played a role in this book. And while I was familiar a little with kitsune, (thanks Julie Kagawa), I went into this book with no understanding of how foxes play a role in other East Asian cultures.

Having read one of Choo’s books already, I had a heads up of what to expect. I was prepared for a slower paced meander through the story, rather than a fast-paced race of a tale. The slow pace of the story allows readers to really delve into the characters and their stories and really get to know them. I normally don’t like slow-paced stories, but the way that Choo layers the history, culture, society, and the expectations of the times, and then adds in the mythology in such a way that it feels more like magical realism than fantasy.

The story is told between two POV characters, a woman who is named Snow but is called Ah San, and an older detective named Bao. While there are a couple of mysteries woven into this story, that isn’t really where the strength lies. The mysteries aren’t overly complicated, I figured them out far in advance, but the real strength lies in her ability to spin a story that pulls you in and keeps you reading just to see what the characters will do and say next, and more importantly, how they are going to react to these big revelations, which are practically anticlimactic when compared to how the reveals create growth and change in the characters.

I was prepared for the slow pace, and enjoyed having the author narrate the story. She has a clear and precise way of speaking, and a crisp British accent. Her narration gave the story a more personal feel, although having to read this in audio format was probably not the best medium for me. In this case, I think having the book to savor would have made this more enjoyable for me. While listening to this book, I found myself having to focus intensely, often replaying sections or entire chapters because I have a tendency to lose focus. Again, this is not a problem with the book, more of a disconnect between me and the format. There’s just something about this kind of story that calls for a physical book. But her stories are enjoyable enough that I keep coming back and trying them, and learning more about Asian cultures through various lenses, including this author who is a fourth-generation Malaysian of Chinese ethnicity. So my recommendation is to either enjoy this one with the book in front of you, or chance the audiobook, but only if you can really focus while listening to an audiobook.

I want to love every book I read. But this one just baffled me. I was able to read 75% but I’m sorry that’s all I could get through. I found the story to be confusing, long in the tooth, and a bit redundant. While it was written beautifully, it simply did not hold my interest. 3 out of 5 stars!!

The Fox Wife
by Yangsze Choo
The audible version is beautifully preformed.
The soft spoken reader adds to the levels of mystery and mystic.
The Story of mythology, and legend are woven between historical occurrences. The impulsive rebellion of college students, who are attempting to find a cause for their bored and papered lives. The mystic foxes, people without shadows and ghost adds an intensity of the story. The struggle of these mysterious and emetics characters in finding love, revenge and hope. The story is layered and nuanced with Chinese, and Japanese culture just before the cultural changes that leads to world war 2.

Wow, what an amazing narrator. She was captivating and I loved listening to her voice. The story was also very interesting and I loved the plot. This is a different story than I've read in the past but it reminds me of a "real life" folklore type story. It grabs your attention from the beginning as it follows two individuals and their story line through the book and causes you to wonder how they will eventually come together in the end. Highly recommend, especially the audio version - I have already recommended this book to my local book club and various friends. I will be looking for more from this narrator!

I picked this book solely on the cover and the title. I knew nothing about Yangsze Choo's writing before this book... and imagine my delight that those simple things pulled me into a wondrously winding story... a folk tale and a mystery all woven masterfully together.

The added bonus of Yangsze reading the book to me was perfection! I listened with rapt attention... slowly, carefully... as she drew me into the story.

I know no Asian folklore... likewise I know little Asian history either, but Choo does not belittle the listener for their lacking... rather, she brings you along in a tender way. This was one story I did not want to end and I highly recommend! This won't be my last Yangsze Choo book!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this advance listen copy of The Fox Wife. It will be published on February 13, 2024.

Fun adventure that’s part folktale and part historical detective novel. One of the point of view characters is a spirited fox female who is a character straight out of a storybook. The other is an aging detective with a magical gift. It was enlightening to learn more about foxes (both feared and worshipped in some parts of Asia). An added bonus of listening to this on audiobook is that it is read by the author who has a beautiful voice!

Special thanks to NetGally and MacMillan audio for early access to this book.

The Fox Wife is set against the backdrop of 20th century China. It is atmospheric and immersive coupled with an air of mysticism and a mystery that drives the plot. In this dual point of view story we follow Snow, a shapeshifting fox, who is on a journey to find a photographer whom she believes is responsible for the death of her child. In our alternate timeline we follow a detective named Bao who is on a search to determine the identity of a woman who was previously found dead outside of a shop.

I personally enjoyed the slow-moving plot steeped with myths and folklore about foxes. In the afterword Choo touches briefly on the history of fiction about foxes and the ways in which they often minimize the role of female foxes, use them as plot devices, or cast them as vixens. Her character Snow makes for a compelling female fox that adds to the canon. Although parts of the synopsis may sound like this is a gruesome tale filled with murder and violence, a lot of those elements happen off-page. The violence is kept to quite a minimum. It has more of an air of a historical fiction/detective novel.

I will add that the resolution of the mystery was a big disappointment for me. There was a lot of build up with very little pay off. I'm being intentionally vague here. I cant tell if it was due to the folkloric nature of the story but parts of it also felt quite repetitive as if the author didn't trust the reader to be paying close attention at earlier parts and had to remind us of certain events.

This is my first book by Yangsze Choo and can not compare it to her other works but I did find her story compelling enough to read more books by her.

Notes on the audiobook:
Choo narrates the book herself. Her voice lends well to this type of story with folklore and magical elements. At times I felt like I was sitting next to her as she told me a story about foxes. I will add that her tone and cadence remained the same during both POVs which made it a bit challenging to figure out which perspective we were in. It’s definitely a book I had to pay attention to rather than a book I could listen to while doing chores.

I'd recommend this book to people who love slow-moving atmospheric books, books about myths and magical creatures, or historical fiction books set in China.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an audiobook advanced reader copy of The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo in exchange for an honest review.

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 wasn't sure what to expect as I was unfamiliar with the author, but this was a surprisingly beautiful story. Lots of folklore, fantasy, and magical elements.

I listened to the audiobook version and found the narration so soothing. I will say it was a story that required a little more attention than some others. I usually listen while cleaning or running errands, but found I just wanted to sit with this and take the story in fully. So, I would recommend starting in a setting that allows you to grasp all the elements to start. I didn't do that and found myself getting a little lost in some elements of the story, which then required backtracking quite a bit. I suspect that when I get a chance to listen again or read a physical/ebook I'll take even more away from it a second time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publishers for the ARC.

A beautiful story full of fantasy and folklore. There are some parts that are heartbreaking.

The author is also the narrator and she has the most relaxing voice. Perfect for the story.

I tried reading The Ghost Bride before and while I loved the idea of the story I lost interest in it and didn't finish. The Fox Wife also has an amazing story that I was very interested in. I love foxes so I was curious to read it. My interest started to wane midway but picked back up. The audiobook is a little hard to follow sometimes because when someone is talking they don't always have a "he said" or "she said" to tell who said what.

The story made me think of Studio Ghibli's Pom Poko. In the movie, raccoons are able to turn into people and they wreck havoc to protect their community. They also have foxes that turn into people and are considered tricksters.

I really enjoyed the story and I think I may try to give The Ghost Bride another try. Thank you to NetGalley, Yangsze Choo, and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to The Fox Wife. I have written this review voluntarily.

Having lived in China for almost a dozen years, I am of course drawn to all things Chinese - especially folklore, myths, and culture. I knew of the fox myths, but this book gave me a wonderful new appreciation and deeper understanding.
I listened to the audio book, and while I usually eschew all things read by the author, this was an extremely pleasant surprise. Choo's voice conveyed the perfect tones, accent, and cadence to narrate the story. She WAS her main character. That said, it was far more effective when she was Snow, and not so much when she was Bao.
The dual storyline worked in this novel, and watching the author deftly weave the narratives together was beautiful. The prose is often lovely and I found myself pausing and rewinding multiple times just to re-listen to a sentence or paragraph, (not for clarity, but because I loved the words).
This was my first novel by Yangsze Choo, but it certainly won't be my last.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest opinions.

This is such a beautiful story and the way the writer crafts the characters and the entire narrative is so artfully done that despite it having a slower pace I was absolutely hooked from the first few pages. This book is perfect for people who enjoyed Circe and want more stories like that. Based on my experience with this book I will definitely read anything this author has previously written and writes in the future.

An unexpected read! I imagined there would be some magical touches to this and I was thankful to find intrigue, mystery and folklore tapping into the Chinese history of foxes and shapeshifting.

There is surprisingly a completely different atmosphere in this book that is very 1940s detective. I found that to be quite the contrast to the folklore and creating a unique tale overall, though, I find it a bit disruptive early on. Eventually I found a rhythm with the folk/detective combo.

Tragedy, romance, whimsy and digging for more on all accounts. I really enjoyed the additional reading material about the history of the fox myths.

This was my first book by Choo and I am impressed. I listened to the audio and the narration was also great. It swept me up in the story. I loved the fox characters and their different personalities and motivations. I do not have much background in the mythology and this book did a good job of giving some background about fox spirits but without taking you out of the story. The pacing is a lovely version of slow and the writing is beautiful. It is historical fiction with a bit of a mystery and a nice dose of magical realism.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this book for review.

I have read two other boiks by this author and was so excited she published a new book this year. Her stories are a wonderful mix or history, Chinese culture and lore, and wonderful story telling. I always learn when I read her books and I love her beautifully descriptive story telling. This book dod not disappoint and was a pleasure to read. Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of this audiobook.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my copy of The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo Narrated by Yangsze Choo in exchange for an honest review. It publishes February 13, 2024.
First off, the narration was extremely well-done, and I just love when an author reads their own work!
This book was very interesting and I found the lore to be fascinating. I especially loved the author’s note. I will say, this book was hard to follow on audio, because it would change between characters without telling you that it was changing between characters, so I would have a hard time knowing whose perspective it was.
Otherwise, I loved the mystery aspect, and I loved that we got glimpses of multiples peoples’ pasts. I felt like the story was masterfully weaved together and definitely is worth the read. I just would suggest that if you are like me and get lost easily, maybe have the book handy while you’re listening to it!

I am a fan of Yangsze Choo, and perhaps because Ghost Bride and The Night Tiger were so extraordinary, that The Fox Wife was a bit of a let down. With the audiobook, it took me a moment to recognize we’d shifted - the narrator didn’t have enough vocal differences for me to know immediately. I loved that again it was steeped in mythology and a level of magical realism, but the story felt slow and at times repetitive - many characters brought up the same information on the Fox gods and the shifters. Each step forward in the plot seemed accompanied by a retreading of details with only slight variation.

The novel had some great moments - and Choo is wonderful with sensory details, but in this novel the pace impacted my enjoyment.

I was quite intrigued by the premise of this novel, mythical creatures walking amongst the human population just out of sight and reach. “Some people think foxes are similar to ghosts;” this really piqued my interest. The fox has been seen as a sly creature that causes mischief across quite a few cultures, including Chinese folklore.

The story begins with a young woman who has been found frozen in the snow. Her death and identity are a mystery that Bao, an aging detective, has been hired to uncover. A parallel story follows Snow, a fox that has taken on her human form to hunt down a killer and get her revenge.

The biggest issue I had with this novel was the pacing. The story began very slowly and does not pick up and get interesting for quite some time. The audio production was very well done and may have helped me keep most of my focus.

The Fox Wife was beautiful and mesmerizing. Yangtze Choo does a fantastic job of building an enchanting world with a cast of characters that were diverse and interesting. The story moves at a slow and deliberate pace allowing you to immerse yourself completely. I found her incredibly easy to listen to and enjoyed every last bit.

It is a slow paced, well-woven story that incorporates fox mythology. Given the slower pacing it is not for everyone but it was different than my norm and I enjoyed that quality. It is the first title that I have experienced to dual p.o.v.s in this manner.( First person - to 3rd & the fact that the opposing p.o.v.s. were not of 'fated' lovers but of two characters that are wrapped up in the events that were unfolding.) The blend of genres is what drew me to the title; Folklore, mystery and historical elements.

It has intrigued me enough to look into Choo's other titles.