Some of the stories are, of course, better than others, but most are in general well-written and haunting. Would love to read some more of certain authors.

This was one of those books that I definitely did not know what I was getting when I originally set to read it. Rather than it being a selection of Ghost Stories, this seems to be a companion piece to an earlier anthology called Black Cranes (which incidentally is from the same publishers) and relates Asian folklore to the lives of Asian Horror Writers in a set of deeply personal essays.
The book is an interesting view of being an Asian woman who has been part of the historic Asian Diaspora throughout the world. Over the perspectives of a number of women from different backgrounds, each short piece has its roots in folklore and mythology and gives a series of self-explorations through the medium of horror.
There are a number of different subjects in this compilation of essays, dealing with trauma, tradition, culture, identity, all mirroring different aspects of being unquiet, of just accepting that things will be the same and that in order to resonate back the feelings of the women who are writing the essays.
The essays themselves have a plethora of differing voices, ranging from the academic, to the conversational. From the formal, to the informal and through these allegorical manifestations of the spirits, monsters and phantasms, the individual writers tell not only their own experiences, but those of their mothers and their grandmothers.
One of the things that I found that resonated with me was the differing interpretations of folklore and how this has an impact on differing cultures. As a person from England, I realise that a number of our folklore tales have now become lost to the mists of time or have been Potterised in order to give a certain boy wizard a back story and have less of impact than they once did (although, I do applaud the woman for using folklore in these books). In addition to his, it is interesting to see how much tales of fox spirits and hungry ghosts still have an effect on different cultures and how they relate to the everyday experience in the twenty first century.
On the whole, I enjoyed this series of essays. As you can guess some hit home more than others, which is something that you would expect when you are reading a collection of essays. A couple seemed out of place, although they are not without their merit, it’s just that they did not seem to fit, and I notice that another reviewer thought the same.
As a postscript, I think for me that the only negative thing (if you can call it that, it was more like a niggle!) that I seemed to get out of the book was that at times I felt that there was some background that I was missing, and I think that this was highlighted more in the first essay in which the author used fragments of her own tales from the earlier anthology Black Cranes, and I felt that it may have been advantageous to read this first, not essential, but advantageous.

This is not my normal type of read, howenever, I am very thankful to have been given the chance to read on advanced copy.

This collection of essays deals with a lot of very sensitive and personal topics, and each author's individual experiences and voice is given a chance to shine through. This is definitely not a light-read, but it is an important one. More stories like this need to be told.

I received a copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I have some mixed feelings about this title if I'm going to be honest. While I love that this title honors the heritage of the Asian community and their beliefs and myths, that aside I think the description is a little misleading. While each essay is exceptional is and of themselves some were very textbook in fashion. I appreciate each authors contribution, but feel that some people may look at this title and mistake it for short yokai or horror stories and may be disappointed when reading the selections inside. Taking away the cover and description for this title the contents are truly amazing. Some of them made me cry they made me so emotional. For that I am giving this title 4 stars

Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC of this book.

It took me a while to gather my thoughts and write a review, and ultimately that's because I was underwhelmed by this collection.

Most of the stories where beautifully written, some where a bit clunky, but the majority of the stories did not stick with me.

Perhaps not right for me but it might be right for you.

Asian women authors and horror? Yes please! Absolutely loved this anthology, and I’ve discovered a lot of new authors to follow. Absolutely devoured this book

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Unquiet Spirit” is a deeply personal and intriguing collection of essays. Across multiple authors you are introduced to a multitude of haunting female ghosts across Asia, ghosts that have found their way into each writer’s life. They symbolize, trauma, tradition, hunger, all of these ghosts reflect the unquiet feelings inside us.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading through these essays and receiving multiple perspectives from a diverse collection of Asian diaspora writers. I learned a lot about the mythology and culture of the different countries, that I’d been totally unaware of before. If you enjoy thoughtful essays and want to read some with an element of the supernatural thrown in, this is the collection for you.

This is a wonderfully thought out and well-constructed essay collection. Each story had its own 'ghost' - be it an actual creature from horror and folk tales or a manifestation of little pieces of womanhood and the search of belonging in this world. I believe each reader will find essays that resonate with them the most, that spell out their deepest thoughts, and some stories may be less intruiging but no less interesting and evocative. The collection is masterfully edited to show off the writers' unique strenghts and style, and to join the essays into a cohesive compilation of self-exploration through horror.
My absolute favourite essays:
"The Substitute""
"Fox Daughter"
"100 Livers"
"Plant a Cherry Tree Over My Grave"
"Ghost Month in Taiwan"

Though I typically don’t read non-fiction anthologies, Unquiet Spirits’ blurb caught my attention as I am very interested in how myths have the power to shape beliefs and social roles, and I’m so glad that I gave this book a shot.
With each author writing about their own lives, cultures and identities, this collection of essays was a very enriching and emotional read. I loved learning about folklore through these brilliantly written essays, and I recommend it all readers who are interested in myths and lore.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review

This collection of essays written by Asian horror authors comprises a variety of voices from the academic to the conversational, from a variety of ancestral lands, and from new homelands across the Asian diaspora. Through ghost stories, allegories, and traditional folk tales, these women are able to parse their experiences and those of their parents and grandparents as they’ve left their homes behind. Filled with ruminations on longing, belonging, and feeling in between, Unquiet Spirits brings all of these voices together to give a picture of the stories that bind us all to our history and shape our understanding of ourselves.

As with any collection, there are essays that were more accessible to me, and more strongly written. I will say that the number of authors and the wildly varying styles did sometimes make the whole feel disjointed, but I found very few essays that really didn’t resonate. In addition to reading about some truly fascinating and terrifying (and mostly female) otherworldly creatures, I realized that the tales of the unquiet woman are cautionary in nature, but also reveal how frightened the status quo is of women who find their voice. This is a theme that I see in folktales from other cultures as well, and it was interesting to see how some authors identified with and claimed the hungry spirits as their own.

Recommended for students of folklore, fans of fairy tales, and anyone with interest in the stories of the women of the Asian diaspora.

Thank you to Netgalley and Black Spot Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I fell in love with the cover and loved the essays that made me learn a lot about lore and myths.
All these essays are well written, intriguing, and well researched.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you to Black Spot Books Non-Fiction for providing me with an e-ARC of Unquiet Spirits: Essays by Asian Women in Horror!

I love non-fiction that has anything to do with horror & Unquiet Spirits was absolutely no exception. I learned so much about different lore in several different Asian cultures & every essay tied these stories with the author's personal lives & gosh, I loved it. Every single author in the TOC put their heart in every word they wrote; it was so raw and honest. 10/10 recommend.

3.5 stars, rounding up
Twenty-one essays blending themes of family, loss, and identity with spirits/ghosts of Asian folklore.  While this wasn't what I was expecting, I did enjoy these very personal writings, as well as the backstories of the Asian spirits  and their roles in various cultures.

"And I encourage you to raise scissors and blades over these threads over your own head and allow yourself bith your fears and desires. And perhaps through stories of spirits and ghosts, we can further explore our place in this world; within, without, and between cultures; and in confronting our cultural and existential fears, anxieties, and angst, we might become more human, and less of an unsettled spirit."

It's hard to find a single quote in an anthology that nicely ties up a common theme, but I feel that might do.

Unquiet Spirits is a look at the Asian woman's life experiences, especially in those stuck in the diaspora and even if you are not Asian or a woman, these words will stick with you.

This book is obviously more for a sociology or Asian culture class, but I think it's a fantastic read for anyone.

Thank you for the ARC of Unquiet Spirits. It gives you a good look into other cultures, which i am always interested in.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Unquiet Spirits by Lee Murray and Angela Yuriko Smith in exchange for an honest review. This was a beautiful book of short stories that gave a great view into other cultures. When you are growing up in a small town, you are not always exposed to other cultures and traditions and it has become a bit of an obsession with me to read from around the world finding out how other people respond to death, dying, curses, and hauntings. I really enjoyed this book.

Marvellous and provoking essays and poetry about the female struggle for her own identity throughout Asia and beyond.

This wasn't exactly what I expected, but it was an interesting experience nonetheless. I enjoyed some essays and the way they explored what it means to be a woman across different times and cultures. Some of these made me annoyed as they felt like somewhat weak attempts to appropriate the experience of other women and somehow make it about the author. Most contributors had something personal to share though, and I found their writing poetic and moving. Overall it's a good collection of essays that makes you think back and inwards, which is always a sign of a worthy read.

Thank you net galley for sending me a free copy of unquiet spirits in exchange for a honest review.


Beautifully written, this book manager to captivate the readers interest from page one. Entertaining while remaining loyal to its horror themes this book was a page turner and just what I needed to get rid of my reading slump.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of Unquiet Spirits in exchange for my honest review!

This was an amazing and enlightening read. Unquiet Spirits is a series of anthology stories following 21 Asian women and their connection to folklore, culture and feminism. I am so thankful to these writers for sharing their unique and personal stories. I would definitely recommend this for someone who likes folklore, ghosts, and short stories.

Overall, I give Unquiet Spirits a 3.5 stars!