Will I love The Fox Wife?

The Fox Wife by is a historical mystery by Yangsze Choo. Set in Manchuria in 1908, it is a magical mingling of history with myth and folklore. To be honest, the novel started off at a bit of a disadvantage with me, as half of it is written in the present tense. I’m not a fan of novels written in the present tense, but can get on with them if it’s not used all the way through, and the writing is good enough to make it work – which Choo’s certainly is. It wasn’t long before I fell in love… show more.

Excellent characterization makes The Fox Wife a highly engaging read. Even though it took a while for the two main characters' paths to cross, I was invested in both early on. Snow might be consumed with rage and grief, and intent on revenge, but she has a moral code (and a very distinctive voice; her asides on humans are terse and insightful, her backstory tantalizingly incomplete).

Bao is an older investigator hired to find Snow, and everything that she isn't, but just as compelling. Secondary characters, especially Shiro and Kuro are also well-drawn. A most satisfying ending make The Fox… show more.

Atmospheric and moody this book came into my life at the perfect moment. One crisp spring morning I happened upon a couple of wild foxes playing in a neighbor’s yard. I was entranced. And for the next few weeks, I absorbed, inhaled, and was entranced by all things fox-related. Wandering in a local bookstore I found this book. It skipped the TBR pile. Luscious writing, and intriguing characters drive the narrative in this magical realism, literary work. Set in last century China, and incorporating Chinese mythology, a grieving fox/woman seeks to discover and punish the killer of her kit. Evil… show more.

When a thousand-year-old fox - who can take the shape of a woman - goes on a vengeful mission to kill the man who murdered her kit, the path before her takes her instead to unexpected friends, old flames, resurging grief, and, eventually, peace. Or something like it. Yangsze Choo is an incredible world-weaver, blending east Asian folklore, fantasy, and feminist critique of both into compelling characters and swirling plots. This was one of the best books I read this year, and might be my favorite of all her books. My favorite thing about this book is how she plays… show more.

This intriguing story includes culture, myth, mystery, and fantasy woven into an epic tale. As with most books I love, the characters make the book for me, and these characters had such heart and soul, family nuances, real-life longing, and real-life fears.  

The mystery at the heart of the story was very well plotted. While there were fantasy elements, they subtly impacted the plot without becoming the plot. The historical elements were handled delicately, bringing the world-building to life.