Vampires of Shanghai - Paperback

by Katherine Mercer (Author)

Eight vampire houses run Shanghai, using voluntary human donations to fuel their empire.

Humans are housed. Vampires are fed. Violence is avoided... in theory.

At the center of it all is Lian Zhang, a centuries-old vampire who has built her power through charisma, ruthless pragmatism, and an intimate understanding of what people desire. To be chosen by her is both privilege and prison, her affection as intoxicating as it is suffocating.

Mina Park knows this better than anyone. Once Lian's favored fledgling, Mina barely recognizes herself after ten years in a relationship that has stripped away her freedom, identity, and faith in the glamorous world that once embraced her. But escaping will require more than defiance. Mina must reject the woman who gave her power and belonging-and who refuses to distinguish love from possession.

Javier Robles arrives in Shanghai searching for his long-lost sister. His search draws him into the hidden machinery of vampire society: blood-potency research, black-market donation rings, and ancient dynasties that disguise their brutality behind conference-room diplomacy. As Javier uncovers the truth behind his sister's disappearance, he must confront what lies in his own blood, the legacy his family buried, and a power that may destroy him before he learns to control it.

To expose the lies Shanghai's vampire houses have hidden, Mina and Javier must trust each other long enough to challenge a system where survival requires complicity. But if Lian discovers their alliance, her retaliation will mean death for Javier-and a punishment far worse for Mina.

Vampires of Shanghai is an ambitious dark fantasy from debut author Katherine Mercer exploring obsession, survival, and the struggle for autonomy within relationships defined by unimaginable imbalances of power.

Content warnings are provided at the beginning of the book.

Book One of the Hollow Empires series. Book Two anticipated 2027.