The Fox Wife
core novel 2024 The Fox Wife
Record
| First published | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 3.97 (34,395 ratings, collected 2026-09-15) |
| Page count | 390 |
| First-edition ISBN | 9781250266019 |
Synopsis
The Fox Wife is set in Manchuria in 1908, during the closing years of the Qing Empire, and opens with the discovery of a courtesan found frozen to death in a doorway, her death rumored to be tied to shape-shifting fox spirits. A detective named Bao is hired to identify the dead woman and unravel the circumstances of her death, a task that draws him into the world of local superstition and secrets. In parallel, a family long cursed so that its eldest sons die young takes in a new servant named Snow, unaware that she is herself a fox spirit who has come among them while searching for the person responsible for the death of her own child.
Where it sits
- Universe: The Fox Wife
- Series: not part of a registered series (standalone work within its universe)
- Author: Yangsze Choo
Awards (verified)
- World Fantasy Award (Best Novel), 2025: finalist; Confirmed directly via the World Fantasy Convention's own official results page; one of 4 finalists (winner: The Tainted Cup, Robert Jackson Bennett). The Wings Upon Her Back and The Bright Sword were admitted to this canon on the strength of the same ballot.
Notes
- Set in 1908 Manchuria (with scenes in Dalian and Japan), a historical fantasy centered on a fox spirit hunting for justice. First edition: Henry Holt and Co. (US), February 2024; Quercus (UK).
Sources
- Publishers Weekly: The Fox Wife
- Shelf Awareness: The Fox Wife
- https://www.macmillan.com/books/9781250266019/thefoxwife
- 2025 WFC Nominations and Winners (World Fantasy Convention)
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