The Ghost Bride is a great summer read which I thoroughly enjoyed and raced through in no time. I picked it up based on a list of recommended fantasy reads that are one-off’s and not part of a multi-volume series. This novel was so good, I now wish it was part of a series (and it seems to me, based on the ending, that it could become one). I came for the fantasy/ghost aspect and its historical overtones, but the romance part of it was […]
A different sort of fantasy – I wanted to like it more than I did
The former Chinese colony of Malaya (current day Malaysia) is now under British rule, but the Chinese population there still try their best to stick to their ancient customs. Li Lan’s family was once wealthy, but after her mother died from chickenpox, her father tried to cover his grief by taking opium and now they are nearly bankrupt, with very few promising marriage prospects for Li Lan. One day, however, her father claims that the wealthy and influential Lim family have offered her a ghost […]
A better ghost world than human
When I was updating my Goodreads lists, I noticed something someone said about The Ghost Bride, to the effect of “this story is not about the characters; it’s about the world of the story.” Having just finished the book myself, I have to agree most thoroughly. The world of the dead and the spaces where it connects with the world of the living is fascinating, and told with a lot of interesting detail, which is good, if like me, you don’t know a lot about […]