"A dazzling blend of fantasy intrigue and historical drama." Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
In 1925 colonial Hong Kong, young herbalist Ling Shaw witnesses a murder committed by a bloodthirsty creature. When her uncle is wrongfully arrested for the crime, she is the only one who can clear her family's name and find the real killer.
Ling joins forces with her private academy friend and a reckless Red Society thug from the Kowloon Walled City. The search for answers stirs personal feelings she can't quite name yet. Together, they uncover dark family secrets, occult rituals, and a vampire's curse. But as they dig deeper, they realize the murder is only part of a sinister plot to bring down the Canton Labor Strikes. As ancient horrors awaken and revolution brews, Ling must decide who she really is, what she truly wants, and everything she holds dear.
A gothic historical fantasy perfect for fans of These Violent Delights, House of Hollow, and Enola Holmes, Chasing Moonflowers is a coming-of-power tale that asks: What truly makes a monster?
Autorentext
Pauline Chow is a writer, coach, and ancestral magic practitioner, crafting alternative histories and optimistic futures. She is a Pushcart Prize nominated author with words in Cosmic Monthly Horror, Space and Time Magazine, Apocalypse Confidential, and more. Not your average data scientist, she once sued slumlords and advocated for affordable housing in Southern California. Now, she lives in the woods and is planning her next trip to a historical (hopefully haunted) hotel.