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  • Published: 7 October 2025
  • ISBN: 9781761351518
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 496
  • RRP: $27.99

For No Mortal Creature





A girl with the power to move between life and death must travel into the afterlife to save her grandmother – but to survive, she’ll have to rely on her mortal enemy, as well as the ghost of the boy who once betrayed her – in this romantic, lush fantasy inspired by Wuthering Heights.

What is dead can die again.

When Jia Yi suddenly finds herself alive again after being stabbed through the heart by an enemy’s sword, she realizes she possesses a rare power: the ability to move between the living realm and the mysterious, shrouded world of ghosts. Including the spirit of Lin, her ex-best friend and the love of her life, who betrayed her horribly before disappearing for good.

At first, Jia wants nothing more than to leave the past where it belongs – especially after Lin's ghost nearly kills her during their first encounter. Until her beloved grandmother abruptly passes away, and Jia learns her one chance at saving her might lie with a legendary artifact rumored to be hidden somewhere in the afterlife.

To rescue her grandmother, Jia must traverse the treacherous layers of the death realm, all while navigating her complicated feelings for Lin. But there are others searching for the artifact, too – people such as Essien Lancaster, the young prince of a rival kingdom, and Jia's longtime enemy.

Jia will need the help of both Essien and Lin if she wants to survive the afterlife. Only, she isn't sure whether she can trust either of them. With tensions high and new and old connections blooming, Jia must confront the ghosts of her past … or risk becoming one herself.

  • Published: 7 October 2025
  • ISBN: 9781761351518
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 496
  • RRP: $27.99

About the author

Keshe Chow

Keshe Chow is a Malaysian-born Chinese-Australian author of fantasy, romance, and speculative fiction. She won the 2020 Perito Prize, the 2021 Rachel Funari Prize for Fiction, the 2021 Yarra Literature Prize, the 2022 Victorian Premier's Prize for an Unpublished Manuscript, and the 2023 Uncharted Thrilling Story Award. The Girl with No Reflection is her debut novel.

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Praise for For No Mortal Creature

“Dark secrets, heart-thumping romance, thrilling twists— The Girl with No Reflection has it all.”

LILI WILKINSON, author of Deep Is the Fen

“A total thrill ride, with twists for days and a plot that never stops.”

SHELLEY PARKER-CHAN, Hugo Award winner and bestselling author of She Who Became the Sun

“A unique, gorgeous novel that blends gothic horror with Chinese myths.”

SUNYI DEAN, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Book Eaters

"Action-packed and romantic, striking and fairy tale–esque, eerie and surreal in all the best ways.”

THEA GUANZON, USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of The Hurricane Wars

“The Girl with No Reflection is everything I love about YA fantasy. Keshe Chow’s debut novel is driven by compelling lore and clever prophecies, not to mention plot twists that keep the reader on their toes—and a romance story fiery enough to break and then mend the world. I absolutely could not put this book down!”

KATIE ZHAO, author of Zodiac Rising

“A fairy tale at once ornate and lovely yet filled with sharp edges . . . Keshe Chow’s enchanting entry into Chinese fantasy is eerily beautiful, wickedly romantic, and delightfully twisty!”

AMÉLIE WEN ZHAO, New York Times bestselling author of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night

“The perfect alchemy between dark fantasy, palace intrigue, and pulse-pounding romance.”

JOAN HE, New York Times bestselling author of Strike the Zither

“A gorgeously written, action-packed story that is, at its core, about enduring love. This story will grip you, break your heart, and slowly piece it back together.”

GABI BURTON, Sunday Times bestselling author of Sing Me to Sleep
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