FOR NO MORTAL CREATURE

Jia Yi can come back from the dead, but does she want to?

Her whole life, 16-year-old Jia Yi was told that she was an Untouched, someone who possessed no magic. But then she was killed by Andres Brisson, a lieutenant general for Prince Essien Lancaster of Yske, a neighboring kingdom that’s populated by the fantasy-European rivals of her Chinese-influenced land of Fengzhi Yuan. After Brisson runs her through with his sword, Jia realizes she has the power of resurrection, which opens up an afterlife populated by the ghosts of her past, including that of her childhood best friend, Lin, who betrayed her before he died a year ago. She’s desperate to get back to her dying High Priestess grandmother—only to find out that she has already passed. In her quest to find her grandmother and understand the prediction a shaman once made, Jia discovers a complicated afterlife with multiple levels. She risks everything while navigating feelings for the old friend who hurt her deeply and the prince who isn’t what he at first seems to be. The love triangle in this novel, which is inspired by Wuthering Heights, unfortunately lacks the original’s emotional urgency due to characterization that often feels flat. The design of the afterlife is complex and intriguing, however, and will appeal to readers who appreciate original worldbuilding.

A romantic fantasy that’s strong on setting but light on character development.