The Girl with No Face

Daoshi Chronicles Series, Book 2

By: M. H. Boroson

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's Summary

It's the end of the 19th century. San Francisco's cobblestone streets are haunted, but Chinatown has an unlikely protector in a young Daoist priestess named Li-lin. Using only her martial arts training, spiritual magic, a sword made from peachwood, and the walking, talking spirit of a human eye, Li-lin stands alone to defend her immigrant community from supernatural threats.  

But when the body of a young girl is brought to the deadhouse Li-lin oversees for a local group of gangsters, she faces her most bewildering - and potentially dangerous - assignment yet. The 9-year-old has died from suffocation...specifically by flowers growing out of her nose and mouth. Li-lin suspects Gong Tau, a dirty and primitive form of dark magic. But who is behind the spell, and why, will take her on a perilous journey deep into a dangerous world of ghosts and spirits.  

With hard historical realism and meticulously researched depictions of Chinese monsters and magic that have never been written about in the English language, The Girl with No Face draws from the action-packed cinema of Hong Kong to create a compelling and unforgettable tale of historical fantasy and Chinese lore.

©2019 M. H. Boroson (P)2020 Tantor

So where's the next book?

I was an early fan of The Girl With Ghost Eyes, even though I thought it was a little bogged down by exposition and that the plot kind of meandered at times. Even so, I loved the setting and wanted more. Well, in this book, all of that world-building pays off. We get both a deeper look at Chinatown, as well as a chance to step outside of it. Future plots are teased, past ones are called back. I finished this book wanting the next RIGHT NOW. So where is it?

Another Amazing Entry In The Series

As with the first book in this series, The Girl With No Face takes us deep into the Chinese-American world, and into the human soul. With the spirit of Miyazaki and the grit of Gangs of New York, this poignant story opens us up to myths we don't often get the chance to understand as Westerners. It lets us see through the eyes of a young woman of Chinese heritage in turn of the century America. And it makes us understand things both beautiful and terrible about the human spirit, as well as history. I'd never heard of the Coolie trade until I read this book, and realizing how much I still need to learn is eye-opening. This is at once a powerful story of redemption, a rollicking adventure, and a magical trip into the past. Hold on tight!

What a rush!

This story picks up momentum right away, bringing to mind the action packed films of the late 80s, bringing together thrilling themes of fighting for one's place in the world and the love of family, never once failing to remind you that while relying on others isn't weakness, to do things right you gotta be brave enough to do them yourself.

Beautiful!

Outstanding !

I cannot , literally cannot wait for (fingers crossed ) another audiobook by this writer .
The growth and development of the characters for the place , time , and traditions are just wonderful . The world that this writer has created is simply wonderful and I cannot wait to hear more about it !

A Great Listen

While not as engrossing as the first book in the series it was still very enjoyable and I look forward to future installments. (Fingers crossed.)

Even better than book 1

I am officially hooked on this book series. The breadth and depth of culture plus adventure is satisfying to the reader. I will be looking forward to more books in the series!

The second in the series is even better then the first!

Well done! Another wonderful story. I have to pace myself so I don’t finish it too quickly. I want it to last a little while!

Great book

I absolutely loved this book! Interesting characters, great story and the narrator was wonderful. She really brought the story to life!

Even better than the first book!

While the first novel in this series is a little shaky at the start, Boroson really finds their voice and hits a stride in this novel! The human characters are rich and dimensional, and the female protagonist portrayed so carefully, is fabulously engaging. The spirit world Boroson has created just sings with vivid imagery- and the incomparable Emily Woo Zeller has just the voice to bring this incredible universe to life! I love the blend of fiction and traditional Chinese, and it makes me hungry for more of the fantastic ancient stories we don’t even hear about in western culture. Buckle up for a much better ride than you think you paid for, because this story has some great things to unpack!! Thank you, M. H. For this incredible journey, but DARN YOU for leaving me hanging!!!!! I am (not so patiently but very very very excitedly) awaiting the next installment in this series.

The best of so many worlds...

Both the story and the narration wove together to create a truly natural feeling flow I didn't want to stop. I had worried the second book might have nothing left to say because the first one was so powerful. It didn't take long for that worry to evaporate! Some of the most difficult issues including family relations, race, gender, class, tradition, selfhood, and sacrifice are portrayed with such starkly simple and elegant lines, I found myself being able to view my own struggles with all these issues through a compassionate and clear lens. Meanwhile the story what's compelling, the characters were deeply engaging, and I wish so much there were more books by this author and more readings by this narrator. I wish we had more stories like this.

Excellent story, outstanding performance

Great follow-up to Ghost Eyes. Hope a third part comes out soon and gets the Emily Woo Zeller treatment but haven't heard anything on it...

The Girl With No Face

A brilliant novel that has you listening attentively throughout. I loved the eyeball and the picture painted of him lying in a steaming hot cup of tea is marvellous . Beautifully read
Thank you