Starred review from January 1, 2025
DEBUT Tam just wanted to live her quiet, vegan life in Calgary with her mother and brother, attend college, and maybe let her feelings for classmate Janet grow a bit more. But when her estranged Aunt Tigress is murdered and skinned, Tam must dig into her past, including an undead fox, several enemies, and a host of traumas. Dealing with the ghosts and demons in the city is one thing, but the tentacled monster that follows Tam and the truth about Janet's connection to Tam's past may just be too much for this self-proclaimed ghost girl. Tam has buried her true nature for a very long time; now might be just the moment for her to show her real stripes. Qin's novel weaves ancient Chinese and First Nations mythology into its version of modern-day Canada, with nods to other folklore. The action keeps up with the fast pace of this character-driven story. VERDICT Qin's delightful debut is full of witty, snarky characters in a fantastical Calgary; a good pick for urban fantasy readers.--Kristi Chadwick
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December 9, 2024
Qin’s vivid and wildly imaginative debut centers on Tamara Lin, the descendant of semi-immortal tiger spirits from the high mountains of China. Her late father was a tiger, as is her strange, often cruel aunt. But Calgary, Alberta, isn’t a great place for her kind, so Tam works hard to seem as normal as possible. Though her aunt is plotting something big, Tam wants no part of it—she’s far more focused on impressing Janet, the beautiful redhead from her university botany class. But after monsters start following Tam and the sky turns red, she learns that her aunt has been flayed to death. Tam, now the last tiger, inherits a house full of stolen Indigenous magic, a fox revenant familiar, a demon lawyer’s bonded assistant, and a broken world that she’s obliged to put right. There’s a classic urban fantasy vibe to the plot, but the focus on Chinese and Indigenous magic feels fresh. The author taps deep into the immigrant experience, playing with the tensions that come from importing ancient traditions to a land and people that already have their own equally rich history. Qin is a writer to watch.
February 1, 2025
Tam Lin descends from a Chinese tiger spirit, but she's tried hard to put her connection to the world of the supernatural behind her and just be human. She'd cut off her connection to her last tiger relative, Aunt Tigress, after she had used Tam in her attempts to steal power from the First Nations spirits a decade ago. Now, Aunt Tigress is dead, having named Tam as her sole executor. However, the night she died, strange and terrifying things began happening in the skies over Calgary. Tam is sure that Aunt Tigress' death is somehow related to these phenomena. Janet, the young woman Tam has been seeing, seems to know something, and Jack, who is hired to help Tam investigate, may have his own agenda. This is a promising debut, with a unique perspective on the intersection of immigrant and indigenous folk practices and religion. Readers will certainly find plenty to enjoy in this intricately plotted urban fantasy. Perfect for fans of Rebecca Roanhorse's Sixth World series or N. K. Jemison's The City We Became (2020).
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