Harbour of Hungry Ghosts is one of my most anticipated releases of 2026. And I loved this group of unlikely heroes, mixtures of folktales, and themes. Keep reading this book review of Harbour of Hungry Ghosts for my full thoughts.
Summary
The Au family serve the people of Hong Kong as demon hunters and blessing shrines, honoring the dead and dealing with dangerous yiaoguai incursions. The expectations on eldest daughter Kiamling are high, which is not something her strict grandmother and mentor will let her forget.
However, when British colonists interrupt a hungry ghost ritual, and her grandmother disappears, Kiamling must step up and lead the search.
Her bumbling language pupil Archie and her youngest sister Jingling will offer aid, alongside Hoi Gor, Kiamling’s recently returned childhood crush from Canton.
But when British fables mingle with local Chinese monsters, how can Kiamling prove herself, when the old rules no longer seem to apply?
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Any eldest daughters here? Harbour of Hungry Ghosts continually surprised me with new layers and depths. It starts out as this story about living up to expectations, about the pressure of being an eldest daughter, and then turns into this look at colonization, folktales, and power. As an eldest daughter, the pressure to protect others, to live up to these spoken and silent expectations, resonated deeply with me. It made me instantly love Kiamling. This supernatural historical fantasy then changes in front of your eyes into a story about friendship, about trying to stay afloat, and the mistakes we make.
Harbour of Hungry Ghosts examines the colonialism, the forces, and the forcible merging of customs all swirling. What would happen if we started having to fight not only against our own demons? To have to help when it’s full of resentment, changing the narrative, and having to dress up in illusions. I loved the ways Chan mixes the folktales, the superstitions, and traditions. If you liked Ebony Gate then you will probably enjoy Harbour of Hungry Ghosts.
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Find Harbour of Hungry Ghosts on Goodreads, Storygraph, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.