AN INSTANT #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

'The must-read debut of 2023' Tasha Suri

'Bursting with personality' Xiran Jay Zhao

Half vampire. Half fox-spirit. All trouble.

Pawned by her mother to the King of Hell as a child, Lady Jing is half-vampire, half-hulijing fox-spirit and all sasshole. As the King's ward, she has spent the past ninety years running errands, dodging the taunts of the spiteful hulijing courtiers, and trying to control her explosive temper - with varying levels of success.

So when Jing overhears the courtiers plotting to steal a priceless dragon pearl from the King, she seizes her chance to expose them, once and for all.
  
With the help of a gentle mortal tasked with setting up the Central Bank of Hell, Jing embarks on a wild chase for intel, first through Hell and then mortal Shanghai. But when her hijinks put the mortal in danger, she must decide which is more important: avenging her loss of face, or letting go of her half-empty approach to life for a chance to experience tenderness - and maybe even love.

This richly told adult fantasy debut teems with Chinese deities and demons cavorting in jazz age Shanghai.

'A delightfully wild ride' Chelsea Abdullah

'A gritty, glittering tale' Saara El-Arifi

'A love letter to Chinese mythology' Tanvi Berwah

'Outstanding' T.L. Huchu

'Absolutely delightful' Judy I. Lin

'Absolutely rooting for Lady Jing forever' Hannah Kaner

Alice is a Chinese Canadian author of fantasy. She's fascinated by the interplay between self-perceived versus imposed identity and how this intersects with belonging and enjoys exploring these spaces in her stories. A recovering lawyer and xiaolongbao enthusiast, she knits to soothe anxiety and has a deep abiding love for Hobonichi planners and kawaii planner stickers. She is grateful for the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.