In one night, Yuan Wen-Ying can take down the Japanese commander who slaughtered masses in Nanking. Can she set the plan in motion if she has to destroy the unrequited love of the only one remaining by her side?Shanghai, 1944.After seven years of Japanese occupation, the once glamorous metropolis now lies in ruin. Sirens of air raids haunt the sky. Illnesses, starvation, and death plague every … starvation, and death plague every corner.
With only faint hope, Yuan Wen-Ying pledges her allegiance to the Heaven and Earth Society, Shanghai’s most notorious underground resistance group. Once the daughter of a wealthy and prominent family, she now moves from one dingy hideout to the next, aiding the group in their lethal plots. Japan, she swore, would be her enemy in this life and beyond.
A chance has come for her to strike back against a Japanese commander who led the massacre in Nanking. The stake surges when the plan gives her a way to reclaim her ancestral home and avenge against the traitors who destroyed her family. By her side, Masao Takeda, her group’s covert agent, promises to help her succeed. Could she step up and seize the day?
And will she heed the call of her heart, even if the blood of the enemy runs in the man she loves?
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The Moon Chaser was first published as part of the USA Today Bestselling anthology The Darkest Hour: Tales of WWII Resistance”. It is a spin-off novella from the WWII trilogy Shanghai Story, and can be read as a standalone.
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3.5 stars! “The Moon Chaser” is a stand-alone novella featuring Wen-Ying, the sister of one of the protagonists in the Shanghai Trilogy, which I highly recommend. This story will appeal to anyone who enjoys WW2 hist fic, especially if they are looking to move beyond western WW2 fronts. It’s 1944, at the peak of the conflict. We are immediately submersed into the world and images. Wen-Ying, who has been working behind the scenes in the resistance movement (in Japanese-occupied China), is suddenly entrusted with a mission. Determined to carry it out, she is taken off track when she meets someone who is going to challenge her prejudices.
Why I’m not over the moon about this novella is because I’ve been reading “Shanghai Story” and find that, in comparison, “The Moon Chaser” is unfortunately not as polished. What took away the reading pleasure was the info-dumping, the jumping between POVs, and the feeling that I was being spoon-fed the story instead of being swept away by what Wen-Ying was going through. These things, unfortunately, distracted from my reading.
Kang is on a mission to bring the Pacific side of the war to the general public and I take my hat off to that. Moon Chaser is still worth reading for the reason that it opens doors to a less-familiar world for many, and because stories that can destroy preconceived notions are always worth picking up. I got loads of “aha” moments regarding culture and mentalities and that is, in itself, what makes reading a book like this worth it.
This was a story set in the 1930’s when Japan had taken over Shanghai. The resistance group was trying to take back Shanghai and avenge the death of those who were innocent. There is historical and cultural accuracy in this book and is easy to see why the resistance is active. I think paired with the other books in the series, you’ll enjoy this book.
“The Moon Chaser” is a perfect novella for all fans of the genre. What appealed to me the most was the original setting as I didn’t know that much about the Chinese/Japanese side of the war. From page one I got immediately immersed into a different world and I honestly couldn’t get enough of it.
Wen-Ying, a Chinese resistance fighter, was a wonderful central heroine. Brave, resilient, and unafraid to do anything to ensure the success of the mission as such missions will eventually lead to the victory of her people, who have been oppressed for far too long by the Japanese occupying forces. Even the loss of the dearest people around her didn’t deter her from fighting for the right cause, and I admired that greatly in her.
The story is raw and gritty; it doesn’t shy away from mentioning horrible atrocities or from demonstrating injustice and violence of the Japanese in a few powerful scenes. Yet, it is full of hope and belief in a better future, which is worth fighting and dying for. A true five-star read. Highly recommended!