Ghost-ception! Wuthering Heights! Enemies to lovers, childhood sweethearts, prophecies, dying grandmothers, ancient warlords, and more! If this sounds like a lot, that's because it is. Possibly too much to fit into one book. I do wish this one had a bit more breathing room, though at 480 pages its far from a breezy read as is.

That said, I devoured For No Mortal Creature, propelled by the fascinating world-building, imaginative concepts, and intricate plot. The story follows Jia Yi, a girl from a village of magic-users who discovers she has the rare ability to resurrect. But when her grandmother falls ill, she's forced to team up with a disgraced prince and her ex boyfriend on a quest through the afterlife--no matter how deep her journey takes her.

The plot takes some time to set up all its mechanics, which include, among other things: two love interests, suspiciously vague prophecies, a tangentially important Maguffin and some geopolitics to round out the fantasy world. And that's before Jia even gets to the afterlife. It's all interesting stuff, and the mortal peril Jia faces at every turn keeps the pace from dragging, but I did on more than one occasion find myself wondering "where's all this going?" Despite this, I enjoyed the ride, especially the scenery, as Chow's descriptions make the afterlife come alive in
all its awesome, terrible beauty.

As with the plot, the romance(s) felt a bit rushed as the book struggles to cram in all that world-building while still giving Jia sufficient time with both love interests (Essien in the present, and Lin primarily via flashbacks) to sustain a legitimate love triangle. The result is a bit of emotional whiplash as Jia bonds with first one, then the other of her suitors, both of which she has little reason to trust. While I didn't dislike either subplot, I can't help wondering if the book would have been stronger overall with only one brooding boy for our lead to pine over.

All quibbles aside, I highly recommend this read, if for nothing else than its fascinating take on the afterlife (which, for spoiler reasons I can't get into). I'll definitely be watching for more books from Chow in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-ARC.

While I appreciated the unique worldbuilding, especially that of the Underworld, I found the pacing of this novel to be lackluster. It was unnerving to have such short, choppy chapters that brought an onslaught of changes. For example, the beginning chapters start with Jia Yi's death. Her final moment brings her soul into the Underworld, a layered realm with its own rules. However, she soon returns through resurrection.

I understand that to be a sudden sequence of events, so I found the pacing fitting there. Yet, after Jia Yi blacks out from her wound/stress, there is a flashback to when she was ten years old. Personally, I am wary of flashbacks. When they are well executed, the scene can be a delight to read. But it needs to make sense with the plot/pacing.

A dark YA fantasy pitched as Wuthering Heights + Inception

I had really high hopes for this book as I am a sucker for anything pitched with elements of Inception. I was super excited, I was part of the street team, participated in the cover reveal and got an arc. I do recognize that my issues with it were more about personal taste. The vibes were claustrophobic and there was a bit more body horror than I'd enjoy. It was also more plot driven than character driven and I tend to gravitate towards character centric stories more. The concept is still interesting, please don't let my review deter you from giving it a try.

Thank you to the author for giving me access to an digital advance reader copy via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

At one point while reading, late into the night, I thought, "oh no, maybe I should put this down until daylight." There are ghosts and monsters and demons and a few jump scares. And I am a scaredy cat. But the story was immersive and Jia, the main character, pulled herself together every time, so I did too.

And when I say immersive...we find ourselves in the deepest levels of the afterlife, each one darker and less solid than the one above. The way the levels interact with each other, and the way Jia moves throughout them, meeting family, lovers, foes, and surprising information -- it was masterfully done. (Though I'm not super keen on the idea that first-level ghosts may be haunting me at this exact moment, eek.)

There was a BIG question leading up to the end, and we are left guessing right up to the last page. I found the ending extremely satisfying, and can't wait to discuss it when others have had the chance to read this book!

Really loved this second installment from Chow. She continues to impress with tight plotting, relatable MCs and gorgeous worldbuilding.

DNF at 38%
The premise of this book captured my attention. While some of the prose drew me in with its multi-sensory descriptions, the world and characters ultimately fell flat for me. Discussions between characters drew on for pages and became repetitive and tedious to read. The stakes also didn't feel that high once we learn that Jia can resurrect, which we do very early on. But she doesn't seem to dwell on that very much. Overall, I didn't finish because the book felt flat to me.

For No Mortal Creature is a YA gothic fantasy like no other! With a brilliant concept & an immaculate voice, its love triangle & adventure through the afterlife left me on the edge of my seat. I couldn’t turn the (virtual) pages fast enough! The world building, character development, & gothic vibes were stellar! This is definitely one of my favorite reads of 2025. I loved absolutely everything about this book. I highly recommend this book, especially for gothic and fantasy readers! Thank you to Keshe Chow & Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hmm … I don’t really know how I feel about this? I thought the worldbuilding was really cool—the different death realm levels was interesting and unique! But I never really got invested in the search for the sword, and felt all the back and forth between Jia and Lin and Wai Po and her sister got to be a little confusing at times. I did really like the romance between Jia and Essian, though felt the pacing sometimes got weird with Lin thrown into the mix there. The ending was veryyy open-ended, not sure if there is a sequel planned but I’m left feeling a bit unsatisfied. I liked Jia’s realization about living after grief and being happy with Essian, but there just seems to be so much unresolved.

A YA fantasy with resurrection, exploring the realms of death, dealing with grief and a love triangle, but I don’t think it was for me.

Jia Yi is looking for a medicinal plant for her ailing grandmother when she’s caught and killed by an enemy guard, but finds that she can resurrect. After discovering her new power, the enemy prince, Essien, makes her a deal to let her free if she’ll go to the death realm and retrieve a legendary sword that can conquer death, and Jia agrees when she learns her grandmother has passed. But in the death realm, Jia encounters her friend/lost love, Lin, and other adversaries who are after the sword.

There’s some interesting stuff, like the layers in the death realm and how the ghosts work, but the plot and characters were pretty standard for YA fantasy, so it never quite captured my interest. Jia seems to be one of those protagonists who talks and acts before really thinking things through, which I guess is what a teen would do, but it also made for her not really moving the story along, and more the people around her making decisions for her (even in the important moments). The romance was also not interesting to me, as the one between Essien and Jia seemed to materialize out of nowhere, and partway through I realized it was supposed to be enemies-to-lovers, but I never actually felt they were enemies, just two people who didn’t really know each other, so that was a surprise. Jia and Lin’s was supposed to be established before the events in the book and was revealed in flashbacks, but I never quite felt the chemistry, was mostly just told it through the writing, so I’m not sure what it was that drew them together. This was supposed to be the Wuthering Heights type of relationship, and it’s made obvious with the variations to some of the famous lines from the classic, but it felt a little lukewarm and confusing in comparison. I’m not really sure where all the drama came from. The last 10% felt especially boring to me, as it felt like we had just passed the big climax but the story still had to continue for another 10%.

There are some twists here and there and some did interest and surprise me. Some involved characters that were not quite developed enough (like Jia’s sister) to be surprising. Some of the obstacles/twists, like the mist and Essien’s brother, felt a little random and left me wondering what the point was since they were here and gone without leaving much of an impact. The writing was weird, like a mix of formal/stiff historical speech and modern speech, which made the atmosphere confusing. It was just not as strong as I was hoping for, and while this was a book dealing with grief, I didn’t actually feel all these emotions reading it, and instead it was literally spelled out since I swear the word grief was written out every five pages. That’s something I wanted to feel from the story/writing rather than be told. Probably also not helped that I read a different YA book recently that did grief and complicated siblings dynamics really well, so I kept comparing the books and this one fell short in many ways.

I think if you’re interested in a YA fantasy featuring Chinese folklore influences, a death realm, resurrection magic, and a love triangle, you would enjoy this. Obviously there do seem to be people who enjoy this, but I could never quite get into it, and wished a lot of things were stronger.

Thanks to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author Keshe Chow and to the publisher Delacorte Press for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

Release date: 7th Oct

TW: death, murder, body horror, blood, grief, violence, racism, references to suicide, self harm and medical trauma

After being killed by an enemy sword whilst out hunting, Jia Yi finds herself impossibly resurrected. Trying to save the life of her sickly grandmother, Jia discovers she can move between the realms of life and death and interact with the ghosts that make up the inbetween. One of those, a boy named Lin, broke Jia’s heart before he died and she’s got no interest in associating with him whatsoever, especially when she comes back to life again. When Jia Yi finds out her grandmother has died under suspicious circumstances, and is now wandering the underworld in search of a magical weapon, Jia is forced to follow in an attempt to save her. Jia soon learns that the death realm is far more complicated than she ever believed- even ghosts can be haunted, each level of the afterlife is more deadly than the next and no one knows how it ends. In order to survive, Jia Yu must team up with the ghost of Lin and her longtime enemy, Essien, the cold and enigmatic prince of an enemy nation. However, Jia can’t trust either of them and the further into the death realm she gets, the harder it is to protect her heart and give up her soul for her grandmother.

Gothic, emotional, bloody and romantic, ‘For No Mortal Creature’ is the incredible YA new book from Keshe Chow. I really enjoyed this author’s first work, ‘The Girl with No Reflection’, but this one is just something else. The brutal deaths that Jia Yu goes through, the constant tension of two countries at war, her urgent need to save her grandmother combined with the complicated relationship she has with Essien- they all grabbed me and didn’t let go. I loved how angry Jia is at Lin even though he’s dead, how determined she is to prove herself by rescuing her grandmother and how conflicted she is by the things she has to do on her journey. This is a complex, dark and brutal world for YA and I loved how unafraid the author was to go into gory, and even disgusting, territory as Jia fights for herself and her grandmother. Her relationship with the sly Lin shines with hurt feelings and betrayal while her one with Essien is wary, aching and surprisingly mutual. I really loved how the world of the dead and ghosts are represented, we get to see all the horror and trauma but also the incredible strength of a person’s love after they’re gone. ‘For No Mortal Creature’ is in no way predictable, you truly never know what might happen next, and the standard of the writing is so high that I was willing to read a love triangle (my least favourite trope). I adored this one so much and I’m so excited for more people to read it.

For No Mortal Creature is a beautifully unique book filled with suspense and tenacity. The magic system is clearly explained, the familial bonds are touchingly described, and the characters are written to be well-loved or intensely hated. I love the cover as well

Actually a 3.7 rating.
Keshe Chow has a unique way of writing that will immediately suck you into her universe. Her concepts were interesting and had me on the edge of my seat at times with how Jia was put into situations that she had to unravel through clues. I enjoyed the twists and turns this book took for the most part too.
The only thing that doesn't have me rating this higher is the lack of development with two select characters; Jia's sister and Essien. While I understand the sister was deliberate, I felt that we truly didn't spend enough time with Essien, making the ending feel rushed. I would have loved to have the main characters interact more, or even have chapters from Essien's perspective as the story went along. He seems like a deeply conflicting character which we truly didn't get to explore enough.
I would have loved for this to be a duology so that we could have time to properly explore the development with select characters and potentially even greater parts of the world.
Overall a great book that I would recommend to friends.

Then opening line hooked me instantly. The main character dies on page one — I’m sold! Tell me more.

I truly enjoyed the concept of the levels of the afterlife, and how spirits can haunt and interact (spirit bone swords? Yes please!).

I also couldn’t get enough of the princeling (Essien) and the main character(Jia). How their relationship morphs from the first few chapters to the end is a masterpiece. I didn’t want to let them go when the book finished — and I wouldn’t be mad if there was a follow up novella about them. However, with that said, I think the ending perfectly wraps it all up and that nothing is left unsaid or unfinished.

Definitely recommend this cozy book with such a fantastic fantasy element.

Thank you NetGalley ❤️

- LOVELY
- GRIPPING
- GRITTY
- WITTY
- THE HUMAN JOURNEY
- CREATIVE AAFFFFFF
- resurrection powers but DONT SUGARCOAT IT
- absolutely freaking FANTASTIC
- AMAZING PACING
- bbeeaauuutttiful writing
- backbone of freaking steel, learning, loving, messy kind of FMC
- SO OBSESSED WITH HER MMC
- sooooo kind and handsome and fantastic MMC
- PAGE TURNING
- grainy, dark forests, crowded ancient cities, opulent throne rooms, secret passages and harrowing creatures with sharpened teeth in the 6 levels of death kind of vibes

THIS BOOK. THIS BOOK HOLDS NO PUNCHES. THIS BOOK WILL TEAR AT YOUR MIND, rip OUT YOUR HEART, then hold your hand as it HEALS YOU THEN MAKES YOU QUESTION EVERYTHING YOU KNOW.

In short - THIS IS MY FAVORITE KIND OF STORY.

Gods above and below the love story is fantastic. It’s a love triangle to make you DIZZY. Lia is equal parts compassion, duty, recklessness and loyalty, a heady mix when she’s given the gift of resurrection and the task to find a fabled sword in the realm of death that will give the bearer power over resurrection. Lin is what we believe we want in a partner, someone to equal us, to see us as we are, but Essien is the partner that our heart doesn’t know to yearn for.

I can’t get over the beauty that is this story, the depth of their emotions and the richness of this setting. This the kind of story that just doesn’t leave a person - it gets imprinted in your brain and will you’ll be thinking about it in your quiet moments.
I can’t get enough of this story and I don’t think I ever will.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND

oh i absolutely devoured it !! the beginning was a little confusing but post 20% i was flying through, Jia Yi was my favourite, the plot and characters are multilayered and unique as i haven't read anything prior. The visuals, descriptions are as beautiful as the cover. i'm really excited to get a physical copy when this comes out and reread !!

This was my first experience reading anything from Keshe Chow. It sounded interesting going into it, but I was afraid to get my hopes up. I struggled at the start to get into it. But once I did this was an amazing read. It was beautiful, dark, and complex. It honestly surpassed my expectations for a YA fantasy book. I will definitely be checking out more of Keshe’s work now.

Thank you once again to Keshe and Lexi from @penguinteenaus for my beautiful copy of FNMC. Being on this street team was a huge deal and I’m so grateful to be a part of it!

Jia Yi is hands down one of my favourite FMCs. She’s on a mission, she’s sassy but she’s just a girl! 🥺 The world building in this creeped me out and I was hooked, I needed to know how she was going to get herself out of this. I love the use of the Chinese language and the fantasy elements surrounding a culture that is so rich. As we dive deep into the story, you’re caught up on the themes of family, loss and first loves. If you experienced grief and longing, you’d understand Jia just that bit more. I was on edge, I laughed and I ached for our poor gal. Overall I really enjoyed a different setting for fantasy and the world building was so fascinating to me. With your loved ones just that bit out of reach, how far are you willing to go before you’re in too deep? 🤔

Some of my favourite quotes are,

“You proposed a bargain,” I corrected. “I agreed to nothing.”

“No,” I retorted. “I’d let you fucking die.”

“So obsessed, that even death did not release me?”

ੈ✩‧₊˚ four stars ·˚ ༘₊· ➳

I absolutely loved this! I'm so excited it lived up to the hype I built up for myself because it had everything I like - romance, ghosts, and many twists. I usually don't care for love triangles, but I was glued reading each moment the FMC had with each MMC. The premise and world building had me hooked, and the beautiful cover for the novel is the perfect cherry on top. I'm genuinely excited for others to pick this book up when it releases in October. ✩


Thank you to the publisher, Keshe Chow, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.<

・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・

pre-read :

Omgggg I am so excited to read this. This cover is incredible and the plot (more so the romance and drama in it) I'm so ready for. I had my fingers crossed to get this ARC 🤞 so hopefully it meets the high expectations I have for it. ( : RTC. 👻🌸 ✩

A FMC who can travel to the Afterlife and back.... yes please.

I adored this authors first book The Girl With No Reflection, so when I heard they had a second book out I knew I had to snap it up. This book did not fail to deliver, the FMC is a badass and is extremely likeable I was routing for her from the get go. We also have some romance with Lin - her childhood friend and Prince Essien who is her enemy as he punishes those with powers. I could not put this book down, the romance was interesting but we still have a main plot which I wont say much about as its better to experience it. I will say I was routing for Essien but Lin is the Morally Grey character we cannot help but be drawn too. The world building was fantastic, Chow really knows how to set a scene and make the story come alive. I sometimes have a hard time visualising fantasy worlds, but this felt easy to get into and I didn't want to escape. You might think you will know what will happen next, but Chow keeps you guessing and I love that. If you love Fantasy with dark elements and a bit of romance, this is for you.

This book is trying so very hard to make the enemies to lovers trope work, and I can’t help but sigh and pick up my eyes from where they rolled. Our main character is accustomed to running through the woods snaring small animals and collecting herbs, only to be captured and dragged before the prince. Apparently they do this every now and again, because no one in his court is surprised that she’s here, bleeding on the floor. It’s just a normal day in the castle.

She’s dying, bleeding everywhere, and he picks her up himself and carries her to a guest room to be treated. She escapes, he follows her, and now she’s feeling tingly in her lower bits because he’s touching her … this prince who has people tortured and held captive in his dungeons — and who are they? Probably her own people, seeing as how their two kingdoms are at odds. But no matter, they’re just set dressing. Leaving people in the dungeons, fine. Leaving the prince in the woods, nope. He has to be saved so she can keep getting squishy feelings in her knickers.

Jia feels more sympathy for an enemy soldier than for the people in the prince’s dungeons.

And then there are random questions … if the horse ghost didn’t come with its saddle and bridle, are ghosts naked? How do clothes come through? Are people wearing their burial clothes? Lin, her childhood sweetheart and best friend betrays her — or so she thinks — again and again. (I really hate the misunderstandings and lack of communication as plot devices) comes out of nowhere to save her again and again, like batman; also playing batman is her older sister who shows up out of nowhere to be evil for reasons, who then turns around to be a good guy because surprise!

There’s no foreshadowing, no set up, nothing. It’s just one twist after the other for no reason other than to be twisty. And it’s all so heavy handed I think I have a concussion from this book. At the end of course they’re in love, having had maybe one conversation in their entire lives. But he’s hot and a prince so that’s okay.

Honestly, there are people who will read this and enjoy it, and I’m glad for them But the writing, the pacing, the world building … all of it failed to keep me interested. I didn’t like the characters, I didn’t like the barrage of deus ex machinas that made me feel like the book didn’t respect me as a reader, and I’m just glad it’s over.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.