The Girl with No Face

Daoshi Chronicles Series, Book 2

By: M. H. Boroson

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

It's the end of the 19th century. San Francisco's cobblestone streets are haunted, but Chinatown has an unlikely protector in a young Daoist priestess named Li-lin. Using only her martial arts training, spiritual magic, a sword made from peachwood, and the walking, talking spirit of a human eye, Li-lin stands alone to defend her immigrant community from supernatural threats.

But when the body of a young girl is brought to the deadhouse Li-lin oversees for a local group of gangsters, she faces her most bewildering - and potentially dangerous - assignment yet. The 9-year-old has died from suffocation...specifically by flowers growing out of her nose and mouth. Li-lin suspects Gong Tau, a dirty and primitive form of dark magic. But who is behind the spell, and why, will take her on a perilous journey deep into a dangerous world of ghosts and spirits.

With hard historical realism and meticulously researched depictions of Chinese monsters and magic that have never been written about in the English language, The Girl with No Face draws from the action-packed cinema of Hong Kong to create a compelling and unforgettable tale of historical fantasy and Chinese lore.

©2019 M. H. Boroson (P)2020 Tantor

make sure you pay attention!!!

I swear, Authors thrive on tears of readers. I am nothing short of a sobbing mess. That being said. hands down amazing series

Even better than book 1

I am officially hooked on this book series. The breadth and depth of culture plus adventure is satisfying to the reader. I will be looking forward to more books in the series!

So where's the next book?

I was an early fan of The Girl With Ghost Eyes, even though I thought it was a little bogged down by exposition and that the plot kind of meandered at times. Even so, I loved the setting and wanted more. Well, in this book, all of that world-building pays off. We get both a deeper look at Chinatown, as well as a chance to step outside of it. Future plots are teased, past ones are called back. I finished this book wanting the next RIGHT NOW. So where is it?

Another Amazing Entry In The Series

As with the first book in this series, The Girl With No Face takes us deep into the Chinese-American world, and into the human soul. With the spirit of Miyazaki and the grit of Gangs of New York, this poignant story opens us up to myths we don't often get the chance to understand as Westerners. It lets us see through the eyes of a young woman of Chinese heritage in turn of the century America. And it makes us understand things both beautiful and terrible about the human spirit, as well as history. I'd never heard of the Coolie trade until I read this book, and realizing how much I still need to learn is eye-opening. This is at once a powerful story of redemption, a rollicking adventure, and a magical trip into the past. Hold on tight!

Exciting and better than the first

Well done and better than the first. A gem and standout especially as second books go.

Even better than the first book!

While the first novel in this series is a little shaky at the start, Boroson really finds their voice and hits a stride in this novel! The human characters are rich and dimensional, and the female protagonist portrayed so carefully, is fabulously engaging. The spirit world Boroson has created just sings with vivid imagery- and the incomparable Emily Woo Zeller has just the voice to bring this incredible universe to life! I love the blend of fiction and traditional Chinese, and it makes me hungry for more of the fantastic ancient stories we don’t even hear about in western culture. Buckle up for a much better ride than you think you paid for, because this story has some great things to unpack!! Thank you, M. H. For this incredible journey, but DARN YOU for leaving me hanging!!!!! I am (not so patiently but very very very excitedly) awaiting the next installment in this series.

Question why and how this happened. 

A beautiful story. Transported me to Chinatown in another time feel the culture of that time
. 

Excellent story

Loved everything about it. And the narrator did a great job too. Really held my attention.

A great installment to a great series

If Dresden files were written in the time that was preindustrial revolution San Francisco and Harry had the common sense of a woman that is this series!

Looking forward to the next book!

new-to-me storytelling

This is the first time I've read any Chinese-American magical fiction and I have enjoyed this thoroughly. The author presents us with a magical realm, characters, and set of beliefs unique to my experience. The visuals this author presents to my mind's eye have been deeply satisfying. I can't wait to read more.