Daughter of Calamity is a vivid and atmospheric debut. Set in Shanghai, Jingwen is a cabaret dancer who never expects to find violence on the dance floor. When a dancer has her lips stolen by cruel magic, Jingwen decides to investigate. Jingwen must choose whether to sink into the secrets her grandmother and friends have been keeping from her. As a surgeon to gangsters, Jingwen’s grandmother has many mysterious connections. Jingwen must decide whether to trust her new connections as more dancers across the city are targeted. 

I loved how Rosalie M. Lin’s writing is filled with sensory description. Readers will feel that they’re walking beside Jingwen as she explores the secrets of Shanghai. There are lots of twists and red herrings to the mystery of who is stealing body parts of the dancers. While Jingwen doesn’t always get along with her fellow cabaret dancers, no one is going to get away with harming them. 

Lin explores complex themes of sisterhood and family bonds. I appreciated the clever parallels to the real-world stealing of culture and fetishization of certain features. At times the pacing of the book felt a little off, but I still really enjoyed the story. Daughter of Calamity is perfect for readers who seek a dreamy and atmospheric tale with twists. I’m looking forward to seeing what Rosalie M. Lin writes next! 

Thank you to Rosalie M. Lin, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.