If you love ghosts, romance, ghosts, swords, ghosts, liars, and more ghosts, then For No Mortal Creature by Keshe Chow is the fantasy novel you needed to read yesterday. It’s a brilliantly written book with simmering romantic tension, dawning realisations of horror, much stabbing and ghosts (did I forget to mention there were lots of ghosts?). Love. Love. Love.
BLURB:
In this romantic, lush fantasy inspired by Wuthering Heights, a girl with the power to move between life and death must travel into the afterlife to save her grandmother. But to survive she’ll have to rely on her mortal enemy, as well as the ghost of the boy who once betrayed her.
What is dead can die again.
When Jia Yi suddenly finds herself alive again after being stabbed through the heart by an enemy’s sword, she realizes she possesses a rare power- the ability to move between the living realm and the mysterious, shrouded world of ghosts. Including the spirit of Lin, her ex-best friend and the love of her life, who betrayed her horribly before disappearing for good.
At first, Jia wants nothing more than to leave the past where it belongs – especially after Lin’s ghost nearly kills her during their first encounter. Until her beloved grandmother abruptly passes away, and Jia learns her one chance at saving her might lie with a legendary artifact rumored to be hidden somewhere in the afterlife.
To rescue her grandmother, Jia must traverse the treacherous layers of the death realm, all while navigating her complicated feelings for Lin. But there are others searching for the artifact, too – people such as Essien Lancaster, the young prince of a rival kingdom, and Jia’s longtime enemy.
Jia will need the help of both Essien and Lin if she wants to survive the afterlife. Only, she isn’t sure whether she can trust either of them. With tensions high and new and old connections blooming, Jia must confront the ghosts of her past … or risk becoming one herself.
REVIEW:
I’m just going to start this review off by saying how much I just adore Keshe Chow’s writing. I really enjoyed reading this novel and it will probably stick with me for some time. I finished reading this on my flight to Prague in September, which was such a great way to begin my holidays. For No Mortal Creature doesn’t play around, it is such a page turner.
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It was described as Wuthering Heights meets Inception, which is 100% the feeling this novel gives. The world building was vivid and unusual, which I liked immensely. Layers and layers of afterlives, ghosts and drama. It’s rare for me to feel like the setting itself is cool. It almost felt like a character of its own.
I enjoyed the complexity of the characters too. The fact you can’t exactly trust Jia, or anyone else to act nor believe what they say and do, adds to the drama of the book. There’s a real and visceral feeling of distrust as a reader which you get so rarely. It makes it so much more intense and gripping not knowing if what you think you know is the truth, and if what happens next is what you expect from the clues given.
“The best lies are those that are formed in half-truths.”
There is simmering tension and emotions between Jia and the Prince, complicated by Jia’s history with Lin. The electricity in the air during fairly innocent yet intimate moments are tantalisingly well done. So much will they, won’t they energy. So much Wuthering Heights toxicity you can’t help but love.
There were a few twists and turns I didn’t see coming, which is always a win in my book. Blindside me anytime, I love it.
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Death is the topic of the novel, and it is explored in varied and nuanced ways. You can feel the pain and love Jia feels for herself, Lin, and most importantly, her grandmother. So many different types of love and how death impacts that love. The emotions at critical times in the book will have you on the verge of tears yourself, feeling Jia’s pain, anguish and bravery. After all, she is nothing if not brave for how she carries on despite all she faces.
