Description

“My name is not Kim, it’s Kiamling. It means Sword Spirit. I was forged to cut down the undead. Demons and monsters aren’t just in your storybooks, they walk among us.”

The Au family serve the people of Hong Kong: blessing shrines, honouring the dead and dealing with dangerous monster incursions. The expectations on eldest daughter Kiamling are high, which is not something her strict grandmother will let her forget.

When the British disrupt the Hungry Ghosts festival and her grandmother is seized by a strange new monster, Kiamling must step up and lead the search. She is aided by unexpected allies: Archie, an earnest civil servant, Hoi gor, childhood sweetheart turned merchant-pirate and Jingling, her younger sister keeping secrets of her own. Kiamling must figure out who is behind the incursion and more importantly, how to defeat them.

With British fables mingling with local Chinese monsters, can Kiamling prove herself, when the old rules no longer seem to apply?

Babel meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer – a family of demon hunters find their hands full when unfamiliar monsters start stalking the streets of Opium War-era Hong Kong, in this fantasy adventure from No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller Eliza Chan.

Publisher Review

Eliza Chan has outdone herself! Filled with action, humour, and sassy women, HARBOUR OF HUNGRY GHOSTS is a glorious tribute to Eastern and Western mythologies, and to Hong Kong’s richly vibrant history — Sunyi Dean A rip-roaring romp through 19th Century Hong Kong infested with monsters, and the belligerent hunter who must take them down. Harbour of Hungry Ghosts is hilarious, whip-smart and action-packed, with a dysfunctional but devoted family at its emotional core — Frances White, bestselling author of Voyage of the Damned With a vibrant world, non-stop demon-slaying action, and a stubborn mess of a main character you can’t help but root for, Harbour of Hungry Ghosts explores colonialism and the weight of familial expectations, set against the backdrop of a Hong Kong where Chinese folklore clashes with the intruding British. Propulsive, fun, and complex: this is the monster-hunting fantasy I’ve been craving — Genoveva Dimova, author of Foul Days If you’re looking for kickass adventure, snarky humour, vivid settings, important history, and flawed but charismatic characters that grow throughout the story, don’t miss this gem! — Emma Sterner-Radley, author of Snowblooded A cinematic tour de force from Eliza Chan about a family of demon hunters set in Opium War era Hong Kong, Chan imbues her signature high stakes action with cutting social insights on colonialism, othering, and generational shame. Be prepared for tears; Chan excels at tugging those heart strings to breaking point then cushioning broken hearts with bittersweet tenderness — A.Y. Chao