The Girl with Ghost Eyes

By: M. H. Boroson

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's Summary

It's the end of the 19th century in San Francisco's Chinatown, and ghost hunters from the Maoshan traditions of Daoism keep malevolent spiritual forces at bay. Li-lin, the daughter of a renowned Daoshi exorcist, is a young widow burdened with yin eyes - the unique ability to see the spirit world. Her spiritual visions and the death of her husband bring shame to Li-lin and her father - and shame is not something this immigrant family can afford.

When a sorcerer cripples her father, terrible plans are set in motion, and only Li-lin can stop them. To aid her are her martial arts and a peachwood sword, her burning paper talismans, and a wisecracking spirit in the form of a human eyeball tucked away in her pocket. Navigating the dangerous alleys and backrooms of a male-dominated Chinatown, Li-lin must confront evil spirits, gangsters, and soulstealers before the sorcerer's ritual summons an ancient evil that could burn Chinatown to the ground.

With a rich and inventive historical setting, nonstop martial arts action, authentic Chinese magic, and bizarre monsters from Asian folklore, The Girl with Ghost Eyes is also the poignant story of a young immigrant searching to find her place beside the long shadow of a demanding father and the stigma of widowhood. In a Chinatown caught between tradition and modernity, one woman may be the key to holding everything together.

©2015 M. H. Boroson (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"A brilliant tale of magic, monsters, and kung fu in the San Francisco Chinatown of 1898." (Publishers Weekly)

a must listen

I loved this book, the author opened a while new world for me and the reader brought the story to life. I hope that there are more stories the Author has to tell of this strong female protagonist.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Loved this!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Girl with Ghost Eyes to be better than the print version?

Yes, hearing the chinese words read aloud really adds to the experience.

What did you like best about this story?

A great introduction to a rich mythological tradition. Also great kung fu scenes.

Which scene was your favorite?

The final battle.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I was caught up in the whole book, but no particular moment stood out.

Any additional comments?

Although it hints at a couple of tropes from the urban fantasy genre, for the most part I felt this was a very original and compelling book. I absolutely love the descriptions of the ghosts and the spirit world, and a heroine who is clearly a badass but still working within the conventions of her time and culture. You can also tell there is some fantastic research here. There is an authenticity to the world the author creates, even though (as is explained) some details had to be changed in order to create a good story. It's also a very very entertaining book - the fight scenes are fantastic and there are a lot of them. And because the heroine is both very strong and trying to fulfill her duties to her community, I'm totally caught up in her journey. I want more, is what I am saying.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Absolutely Riveting

I loved this novel. It was simple but so powerful, and I love that it's making the world of Chinese mysticism accessible to those who otherwise would never be privy to it.

Emily Woo Zeller did a fantastic job narrating (seriously, her performance is worth it just by itself), and M.H. Boroson's writing transported me effortlessly into another world, where eyeball monsters exist and snake-like demons can recreate an amputated limb.

I felt every moment of our main character's struggle, and I fought alongside her up to the very end.

Bang-up job.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A Chinese fairy tale come to life

This book has it all--a vivid setting, interesting characters, plot twists. It will appeal to anyone who likes good storytelling. The narrator is perfect. I loved this book.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

I hope it becomes a series!

I loved this book. I found myself doing other activities just so I could listen to more of the story.

The story line and characters were amazing. I felt like I was really being drawn into the story with the full range of emotions that each character was displaying.

The narrator was very good. I've listened to her with other audiobooks, so I knew I wouldn't be disappointed.

I really hope that this book becomes a series. I'll be keeping my eye out for more 😊

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Fresh fantasy, narration not perfect

Would you consider the audio edition of The Girl with Ghost Eyes to be better than the print version?

No, the audiobook has some volume issues and the voices didn't quite all work for me. It was nice to not have to figure out the pronunciation of Chinese terms and names however.

Did Emily Woo Zeller do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Generally yes, she used different voices for each. It wasn't always consistent however.

Any additional comments?

This story is excellent.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Whiny heroine

I really got tired of the heroine. In the history of literature there might not be one other heroine who complains so much about how they're overmatched, inadequate, in pain... It gets to the point you start to feel like skipping ahead. I resisted that but I was happy to be finished the story.

The cultural aspects were intriguing but, for me at least, not enough to save the story.

1 of 3 people found this review helpful

Mostly enjoyable

I had some significant gripes about the repetitive prose and pacing and character issues, but they weren't enough to keep me from enjoying this debut novel. And I'm not even a fan of Asian mythology tales. I hope this makes it to the screen and gets the stunning visual treatment it deserves.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

for young readers

this book is for a very young audience. it should be lacked as such. I did think the narrator did a good job.

0 of 3 people found this review helpful

amazing story really well told

Well developed characterization, giving a wonderful insight into Chinese folk beliefs and culture. Needing more.