A Startling Year

Tan Yimu's Strange City series blends the supernatural elements of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio and The Classic of Mountains and Seas into an imaginative, healing work: the demon-hunting notes of a peerlessly beautiful and powerful queen of the demonfolk in the human world. Six stories, six eerie lives. Using an anthology format, he lets his Chinese imagination run free and writes about a different kind of demon.

This book tells the story of the female city lord S You and her attendant Tong He, who travel to Lin'an to protect its people. Along the way, she saves others and ultimately finds redemption for herself.

The city of Gaishan has amassed wealth over tens of thousands of years. Its city lord, S You, has lived for a thousand years and, with everything she could want, finds the world bland and devoid of interest. Determined, she must find something to believe in so she can endure the long years ahead.

A summons from the Abyssal Court brings her to the human world to hunt demons and restore peace. From then on, she finds herself in a series of bizarre and fantastical events. She saves Jiang Shannu, who cannot decide whether to choose the fish or the bear's paw; Fang Jingjing, who swore she would never love Shen Qiao; and Wang Youyuan, who falls in love with Zhang Songhe in the final month of her life... As she unravels each mystery, she draws closer to the truth.

These vibrant lives, these people who grow through love, unknowingly give S You an endless taste of nostalgia. They kindle a light in her heart, help her understand the love that exists in the world, and give her the courage to face her own feelings. Awakening the longing within her, they set her on a journey of self-discovery.

This work was published in 2023 by Jiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing House.