Eleanor Fan is completely alone after the death of her mother, Lele. Lele had controlled everything, from doing Eleanor’s taxes to even hand-feeding her when she was studying. Lele even controlled her own death. After Lele’s death, Eleanor is drifting in a sea of grief. The only thing she knows to do is what her mother told her last: Use her inheritance to buy a house. She finds herself following the instructions of a realtor who takes care of everything, much as her mother did. As a result, she ends up alone in a model home of an abandoned housing project. And Lele’s ghost is everywhere.
Vivid descriptive writing enables the reader to instantly picture the scene. For example, the description of the realtor, Matt, tells you his personality: “His thick hair was slicked back, coiffed high off his forehead. He smiled toothily as she approached. He held his hand out for a shake, and a large watch slid out of his jacket sleeve, the band and bezel the same chrome brightness as his car.”
The aftermath of the COVID pandemic is portrayed so well by Eleanor, a mental health counselor, who is still doing her appointments by video long after the pandemic has ended. The house is so vividly described that it takes on a character of its own. Eleanor appears almost locked inside it with her own ghosts. The house’s bright façade and crumbling infrastructure remind the reader of Eleanor, who is slowly unraveling. As the secrets of the house unfold, so do Eleanor’s secrets, and she ultimately has to face them or let them destroy her.
Conclusion
Literary fiction and magical realism combine to paint a portrait of a woman who is lost, alone, and haunted by the past. Highly recommended.
Acknowledgements
I received a free copy of The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts from the publisher, Tin House. My review is voluntary, and the opinions expressed are my own.
Kim Fu is the author of five books, including the 2026 novel The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts, a New York Times notable book for March. This novel received starred reviews from Kirkus and Foreward, and was most anticipated by TIME, Book Riot, and the Chicago Review of Books.
Fu’s story collection Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century (2022) won the Washington State Book Award, the Pacific Northwest Book Award, and the Danuta Gleed Literary Award. It was also a finalist for the Giller Prize, the Ignyte Awards, the Shirley Jackson Awards, and the Saroyan International Prize. Stories in this collection have been selected for Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy and Best of the Net, featured on Levar Burton Reads and Selected Shorts, and optioned for television and film.
Fu lives in Seattle, Washington.
Purchase Link
**Click on the cover below to purchase on Amazon;
My Reviews of Other Books Featuring Magical Realism
This week is a catch-up week for me as I have several books on Netgalley that are past their publishing date, and I’m determined to get those completed. At the same time, I only want to read books I’m enjoying, so I no longer hesitate to DNF and move on if I don’t like something.
Click on the covers for their links to Amazon.
WHAT ARE YOU READING NOW
Dare you enter the stone circle . . .? The world’s most unlikely ghost-busting duo – actress Diana and handsome young bishop Alistair – are back in this spine-tingling paranormal mystery from New York Times bestselling British fantasy author
There are stories about the dilapidated stone circle at Chipping Amesbury, going back centuries. Of people going missing, never to be seen again. Of people found dead inside the circle. Of monsters, and of demons. The villagers may tell the tales with relish to visiting tourists, but a careful observer will notice that there is no transport to the stones, no tours on offer, and the locals stay well away.
Alistair Kincaid, the youngest ever bishop of All Souls Hollow, is an expert in Britain’s ancient stone circles. That’s why, when landowner Sir Neville Chumley announces his plans to restore the circle to its ancient glory, he agrees to take part in a documentary about the project.
WHAT HAVE YOU JUST FINISHED
Stuck in a dead-end bar job in central Tokyo and barely making ends meet, Naomi Kihara’s life turns upside down when her American father, whom she hasn’t seen since she was a toddler, dies. Having been brought up to believe he abandoned her, it’s a shock to learn she is his heir. But there’s a catch: Naomi must go live in his hometown for one year. Felix, Nebraska couldn’t be any more different from Tokyo, Japan. And besides, not everyone in town is happy the Johnson property now belongs to the Japanese daughter everyone forgot Mike ever had in the first place. But with the help of her new friends and neighbors, Naomi discovers a strength in herself she never knew existed.
WHAT ARE YOU READING NEXT?
Genevieve Charbonneau talks to ghosts and has a special relationship with rattlesnakes. In her travels, she’s wandered throughout the South, escaping a mental hospital in Alabama, working for a Louisiana circus, and dancing at a hoochy-kootch in Texas. Now for the first time in a decade, she’s allowed her winding path to bring her to the site of her grandmother’s Arkansas farmhouse, a place hallowed in her memory.
She intends only to visit briefly – to pay respects to her buried loved ones and leave. But a chance meeting with a haunted young Vietnam vet reconnects her with the remnants of a family she thought long gone, and their union becomes a catalyst for change and salvation. An abused woman and her daughters develop the courage to fight back, a ghost finds the path away from life, and a sanctimonious predator becomes the prey. In the process, Genevieve must choose between her longing for meaningful connection after years as an outsider and her equally excruciating impulse to run.
Written by a naturalist and set on the land where her family roots stretch back two centuries, The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree is a haunting story about letting go and the things we leave behind, the power of names, and the ties that bind. It is both harrowing and triumphant, a visceral Southern debut as otherworldly and beautiful as it is unflinching and wry.
Constructed of stone and packed earth, the Great Wall of 10,000 li protects China’s northern borders from the threat of Mongol incursion. The wall is also home to a supernatural beast: the Old Dragon. The Old Dragon’s Head is the most easterly point of the wall, where it finally meets the sea.
In every era, a Dragon Master is born. Endowed with the powers of Heaven, only he can summon the Old Dragon so long as he possess the dragon pearl.
It’s the year 1400, and neither the Old Dragon, the dragon pearl, nor the Dragon Master, has been seen for twenty years. Bolin, a young man working on the Old Dragon’s Head, suffers visions of ghosts. Folk believe he has yin-yang eyes and other paranormal gifts.When Bolin’s fief lord, the Prince of Yan, rebels against his nephew, the Jianwen Emperor, a bitter war of succession ensues in which the Mongols hold the balance of power. While the victor might win the battle on earth, China’s Dragon Throne can only be earned with a Mandate from Heaven – and the support of the Old Dragon.
Bolin embarks on a journey of self-discovery, mirroring Old China’s endeavour to come of age. When Bolin accepts his destiny as the Dragon Master, Heaven sends a third coming of age – for humanity itself. But are any of them ready for what is rising in the east?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Justin Newland
Justin Newland is an author of historical fantasy and secret history thrillers – that’s history with a supernatural twist. His stories feature known events and real people from history which are re-told and examined through the lens of the supernatural. He gives author talks and is a regular contributor to BBC Radio Bristol’s Thought for the Day. He lives with his partner in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England.
His Books
The Genes of Isis is a tale of love, destruction and ephemeral power set under the skies of Ancient Egypt. A re-telling of the Biblical story of the flood, it reveals the mystery of the genes of Isis – or genesis – of mankind.
The Old Dragon’s Head is a historical fantasy and supernatural thriller set during the Ming Dynasty and played out in the shadows the Great Wall of China. It explores the secret history of the influences that shaped the beginnings of modern times.
Set during the Great Enlightenment, The Coronation reveals the secret history of the Industrial Revolution.
His latest, The Abdication (July, 2021), is a suspense thriller, a journey of destiny, wisdom and self-discovery.
Below is a fun and informative interview with Justin Newland
Let’s go beyond the bio. Tell us a little more about yourself. What is something most people would not know about you?
I was born three days before end of the end of the year, making me a Capricorn. Look, someone has to be one. We’re a strange hybrid of half-fish, half-goat. I mean, who would want to be one of those? Capricorns don’t tend to get invited to parties because a. The hosts don’t know whether to feed us plankton or tufts of grass and b. We’re boring, practical people, plodders who just work, work, work. You could either end up with a nasty kettle of fish like Al Capone or Howard Shipman or, better still, a person with deep religious/spiritual views such as Martin Luther King or Jesus Christ. I’d like to think I’m on the religious/spiritual Capricorn spectrum.
The Capricorn symbol is a combination of the letters ‘V S’, which stands for ‘Very Serious’. To compensate for this onerous skill, I found it necessary to develop a keen sense of humour.
Your specialty is combining history with fantasy and the supernatural, as you’ve done in previous novels. What inspired you to choose 1400s China for the setting of this book?
The 14th Century was a time of profound change in the history of the world. For example, it saw the end of the feudal system of government, and the start of our modern era with its cult of the individual, the industrial revolution, and propensity for democracy. In 1368, China ejected the Mongols and formed a new dynasty, The Ming, meaning the Bright. So, in 1400, when the novel is set, China was re-finding and re-building itself, and seeking a new identity with which to move forward into modern times. Even so, it was probably the most advanced nation and culture in the world at the time.
I also chose Chinese society to write about because of its deep-seated belief in demons, ghosts, and gods, which played perfectly into my love of the supernatural.
Having previously read The Abdication, I know that the infusion of magical realism or the supernatural into your work really sets your books apart. Were there books you personally read earlier in life that inspired that touch of magic in your writing?
My early loves and influences in literature were mostly existentialists: Thomas Mann, Franz Kafka, Albert Camus, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Herman Hesse. Only later did I enjoy fantasy writers like Frank Herbert, and magic realism authors such as Borges and Marques.
I believe that we as human beings are much more influenced and guided by the conscious and semi-conscious aspects of our lives – such as dreams, feelings, knowings, clairvoyance, and even coincidences and serendipitous events – than we would readily admit. And I try to reflect this in my novels first by telling a story based in recognizable reality, such as the historical record, so that when I introduce the fantastical or the supernatural elements, I plant a nagging doubt in the reader’s mind as to whether those elements are part of the historical record on not.I also like to use ESP elements such as dreams, and clairvoyance, as plot devices to create mystery and drive the story.
What is the process you go through when researching a new novel, and what advice would you give to new writers just beginning to research historical fiction?
I like to find one book, usually a history book, but it may be an autobiography, that narrates the history of the period that I want to write about. I also want to know not just what happened, but the detail of the setting in which it happened. I want to know what clothes the people wore, what they were made of, what their hygiene was like (if they had any), what their shoes were made of, and what they carried around in their pockets (if they had any pockets at that time). Comment from Bonnie: I could see the evidence of this research while reading The Old Dragon’s Head, as every detail about the characters is so well described. That level of attention really pulls the reader into the story.
My advice to a new author would be – if possible – to write about a period that you have already researched in your life, or a culture that have visited say on holiday, or a period of history that has always fascinated you (preferably all three).
You have independently published several books. What advice do you have for new authors just starting the Independent/self-publishing process?
Choose you self-publisher carefully. Ask around to find a good one. Join Facebook or LinkedIn groups for authors, and self-published authors, and go on their forums to ask those questions. If you are going to spend your own money publishing your books, then make sure you get your money’s worth. And whatever you do, don’t skimp on getting your books copy-edited and proofread. Comment from Bonnie: I agree. I can’t stress enough how important the editing is. Some reviewers will downgrade your book for just one typo.
Thanks so much, Mr. Newland, for providing such great answers to my questions.
My pleasure, Bonnie. Thanks for asking such searching questions.
BOOK REVIEW
The Old Dragon’s Head by Justin Newland is a meticulously researched historical novel with a heavy dash of magical realism. It set in China, 1400, in the fairly early years of the Ming Dynasty, which lasted from 1368 to 1644. The reader is instantly swept into this time and place, and we meet a people still struggling to begin a new era. The characters are about as well developed as I’ve ever seen in a historical novel, and their adventures will keep the reader mesmerized. The character of Luli is especially fascinating to me because she is a strong woman in a very difficult time. There are many mysteries in this novel, but the secrets surrounding two of the characters, Bolin and Feng, are especially intriguing. This mystical adventure is rich in Chinese folklore, ancient myths and religious practices, and early 1400s Chinese culture. The Great Wall of China is almost a character itself, holding many secrets and even magic in this story.
The Old Dragon’s Head is well researched and expertly written. Fans of ancient myths, Chinese history, and coming of age adventures will enjoy this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Zooloo’s Book Tours. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
CONSPIRACY OF CATS… a supernatural murder mystery.
An apprehensive Jos Ferguson travels from Edinburgh to northern Tanzania to visit the house her Uncle Peter built before he died.
But Peter isn’t as dead as he should be… he was murdered, and he wants his niece to help him exact revenge upon his killer. With a little Maasai magic and a conspiracy of cats, Jos sets out to do exactly that.
A beautiful house.
A horrible death.
A brilliant revenge.
Who knew death could be so lively?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
B C Harris is a Scot who, at the time of writing, had just finished renovating a farmhouse in France.
A labour of love that began from first sight back in 2016. No sooner had the final length of flooring been laid and the last paintbrush dried, than disaster struck in the form of pandemic. France went into a strict lockdown and, with time to do more than simply daydream about writing books, a new project began to take shape.
Writing began as an escape from the fear and isolation that was soon affecting us all, and quickly flourished to become ‘Conspiracy of Cats.’ The global pandemic seems to be receding now, but the passion for writing has taken root. Find out more about B C Harris online.
Conspiracy of Cats is a captivating paranormal mystery set in Tanzania. When Jos travels to the “White House,” in Tanzania, which was built by her Uncle Peter, she discovers a mystery and a ghost who needs her help avenging his murder.
The characters are well constructed, and Jos in particular has a tragic history that makes you want to root for her. The mystery is intriguing, and there is an ingenious twist on the paranormal that I personally haven’t seen before. The “villain” is downright evil, and their malice splashes across the pages like drops of blood. The role that the animal world plays in this novel is intriguing. Fans of magical realism will find themselves mesmerized by this novel set admist the magic of Tanzania.
As a warning, there is some cruelty to animals perpetrated by an evil person in this book.
I received a free digital copy of this book via Zooloo’s Book Tours. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
COVER RATING
This cover is fantastic. The lioness is captivating and the use of light is perfect. This book cover will definitely “pop” and be noticeable to readers.
The Best Thing You Can Steal takes place in the magical underworld of modern London, much like Harry Potter. However, this is an adult story with a darker bend. The protagonist is Gideon Sable, a thief and con-artist, who apparently is not the actual Gideon Sable, but another thief using his identity. He is determined to pull off an elaborate heist and take down an evil collector of rare magical items, Fredric Hammer. Gideon is accompanied by his ex-girlfriend Annie Anybody, who can charm technology, the Damned, who has killed angels and wears their halos, Johnny Wild Card, who knows the truth of reality, and the Ghost, who has long haunted the streets of London. They’ve all been wronged by the collector, who has ruined many lives, and they all have their reason to want revenge.
This is magical realism done well, as we are introduced to each member of the specially selected team, told about their story and their magical gifts, and told the reason why they want revenge on Hammer. The character development is superb. Every single member of the heist team is fascinating, and magical London is dark and intriguing. In some sense we are kept much in the dark about the narrator, which makes this even more delicious. This is a short but compelling read about magical revenge that will leave you wanting more.
NOTE: I feel I must caution readers that although the book is 183 pages, the e-book version is priced at $19.49 on Kindle. I feel it’s way overpriced for an e-book and would probably think about spending $28.99 on the hard cover version instead. I will provide links to both below.
I received a free copy of this book from Severn House via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Simon R. Green is a British science fiction and fantasy author. Green was born in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire. He holds a degree in Modern English and American Literature from the University of Leicester. He is the author of the best-selling Nightside series and many other works.
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