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If Found, Return to Hell
Being an intern at One Wizard sounds magical on the page, but in practice mostly means getting yelled at by senior mages and angry clients alike. And so, after receiving a frantic call from a young man who’s awoken to a talisman on his bedroom wall—and no memory of how it got there—Journeyman Wen jumps at the chance to escape call-center duty and actually help someone for once.
But the case ends up being more complicated than Wen could ever have anticipated. The client has been possessed by a demon prince from Hell, and he’s not interested in leaving.
But the case ends up being more complicated than Wen could ever have anticipated. The client has been possessed by a demon prince from Hell, and he’s not interested in leaving.
162 pages, Paperback
First published June 15, 2023
About the author
Em X. Liu
4 books170 followersEm X. Liu is a writer and biochemistry graduate who is fascinated by stories of artificial intelligence and Shakespeare in equal measure. Chronically cold-blooded, Em nevertheless resides in Toronto, Canada.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
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September 5, 2024READ IT. READ IT NOW.
This was a sheer delight from beginning to end. I adored it.
Absolutely charming story of a job-drained intern in One Wizard, a corporate magic company with strong US healthcare vibes, whose urge to help a young man with strange symbols on his wall plunges us into a story of demonic possession, found family, courage, queerness, love, and clinging to kindness in a unkind world, also the many-layered bureaucracy of Hell (which is still better than US healthcare).
It's an absolute pleasure to read, with wonderfully assured, evocative writing. In fact it was such a pleasure that it's written in second person present tense and I didn't even mind, which deserves some kind of award.
Honestly, this has Murderbot levels of 'inexplicably comforting read despite the potentially terrifying content' going on. An utter delight that has gone straight into my favourites folder. You would be a pillock to miss this. Don't be a pillock.
SECOND READ still entirely lovely.
This was a sheer delight from beginning to end. I adored it.
Absolutely charming story of a job-drained intern in One Wizard, a corporate magic company with strong US healthcare vibes, whose urge to help a young man with strange symbols on his wall plunges us into a story of demonic possession, found family, courage, queerness, love, and clinging to kindness in a unkind world, also the many-layered bureaucracy of Hell (which is still better than US healthcare).
It's an absolute pleasure to read, with wonderfully assured, evocative writing. In fact it was such a pleasure that it's written in second person present tense and I didn't even mind, which deserves some kind of award.
Honestly, this has Murderbot levels of 'inexplicably comforting read despite the potentially terrifying content' going on. An utter delight that has gone straight into my favourites folder. You would be a pillock to miss this. Don't be a pillock.
SECOND READ still entirely lovely.
July 9, 2023
stop what you’re doing right meow and listen to me.
i need you to run—don’t walk—to the retailer of your choice and buy if found, return to hell. it is queer, so kind, funny, full of charm, has found family and oodles of love, stars a wizard mc who is an intern at a corporate wizard call centre and just Doing Their Best, sees an accidental adoption of a demon prince, and tackles themes of capitalism and bureaucracy in ways that are extremely clever but never dark or depressing. honestly, reading this novella would be doing yourself the most necessary of favours, and i cannot say enough good things about it.
i need you to run—don’t walk—to the retailer of your choice and buy if found, return to hell. it is queer, so kind, funny, full of charm, has found family and oodles of love, stars a wizard mc who is an intern at a corporate wizard call centre and just Doing Their Best, sees an accidental adoption of a demon prince, and tackles themes of capitalism and bureaucracy in ways that are extremely clever but never dark or depressing. honestly, reading this novella would be doing yourself the most necessary of favours, and i cannot say enough good things about it.
March 20, 2024
ִ ִ 2.5☆꒱🥢
— don't talk to me or my weird demon son(s???) ever again !!!
this story really showed me that family can be a tired wizardry intern, a silly little college student, and the Demon From Hell that inhabits the body of the silly little college student! :3
★ i thought this was just short and sweet. the writing was a little too casual and witty for me; it read a bit like a wattpad story at some points. although i didn't find myself attached to any of the relationships (a rather important feature of a found family story), i think a lot of people could find this very cozy and sweet — especially with its unabashed queerness.
╰› written in second person, the non-binary protagonist is referred to rarely by name and is instead called "jie" or "ge" by their silly freak little family <3
also! wang ran tried to steal something by putting it in his pockets but he couldn't because his pants were too tight and i actually had to stop reading and laugh at that
— don't talk to me or my weird demon son(s???) ever again !!!
this story really showed me that family can be a tired wizardry intern, a silly little college student, and the Demon From Hell that inhabits the body of the silly little college student! :3
★ i thought this was just short and sweet. the writing was a little too casual and witty for me; it read a bit like a wattpad story at some points. although i didn't find myself attached to any of the relationships (a rather important feature of a found family story), i think a lot of people could find this very cozy and sweet — especially with its unabashed queerness.
╰› written in second person, the non-binary protagonist is referred to rarely by name and is instead called "jie" or "ge" by their silly freak little family <3
also! wang ran tried to steal something by putting it in his pockets but he couldn't because his pants were too tight and i actually had to stop reading and laugh at that
July 12, 2023
This is the first book I managed to finish in ages. My enduring depressive funk and guilt about being behind with reviews pushed me into a deep slump, but this brought me out at least a little, even if it took longer to read than it normally would. But wizards dealing with bureaucracy? I simply had to. There’s very, very little I like more in a fantasy book than a dash of mundane bullshit, and it turned out to be cozy and delightful and perfect.
Journeyman Wen is a wizard intern, working a soulless call centre job. When they get a frantic phone call from a teenager dealing with a strange talisman and their superiors are clearly unwilling to do anything about it, they take matters into their own hands. And if they accidentally end up adopting the young man and the demon prince sharing his body…well.
The first thing I noticed is that it’s written in second person. Always an unconventional choice, but I rather like it. It gets us into the protagonist’s head, but at the same time, we don’t really get to know how they look, or even what gender they are – my only clues that they are non-binary come from one of the goodreads blurbs using singular they, and a reviewer pointing out that they are referred to in both masculine and feminine terms in Chinese. Even aside from successfully pulling off second person present, the writing style is quite good. I highlighted a lot more than I usually do in a novella.
But most of all, I loved how cozy and sweet it is. Absolutely delightful. You take a protagonist who’s relatably tired and burnt out from working a shitty, soul-sucking corporate job where they can’t do anything in any meaningful way and give them a little chaos and joy in the form of a sunshine-y boy inhabited by a grumpy but secretly affection-starved prince of hell. Add dumplings and a best friend with no fucks left to give and you have the perfect slump-busting comfort read.
I hope there will be sequels.
Enjoyment: 5/5
Execution: 5/5 just for pulling off 2nd person present ALONE
Recommended to: fellow fans of extremely mundane SFF, anyone looking for books set in a queernorm world, those looking for SFF with Chinese influences that doesn’t hold your hand, if you just need a pick-me-up
Not recommended to: those who really dislike second person?
More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.
Journeyman Wen is a wizard intern, working a soulless call centre job. When they get a frantic phone call from a teenager dealing with a strange talisman and their superiors are clearly unwilling to do anything about it, they take matters into their own hands. And if they accidentally end up adopting the young man and the demon prince sharing his body…well.
Only a day, and his presence has been subsumed into the apartment. Another too-eager, too-awkward thing that has taken up residence here. You curl your own fingers around your elbow, try and think about the energy that had alighted in you when you first came to school. How new and exciting this city seemed, the things you wanted to do to help people. How simple things had felt, to give and let others take of what you had, because wasn’t that what you were here for?
The first thing I noticed is that it’s written in second person. Always an unconventional choice, but I rather like it. It gets us into the protagonist’s head, but at the same time, we don’t really get to know how they look, or even what gender they are – my only clues that they are non-binary come from one of the goodreads blurbs using singular they, and a reviewer pointing out that they are referred to in both masculine and feminine terms in Chinese. Even aside from successfully pulling off second person present, the writing style is quite good. I highlighted a lot more than I usually do in a novella.
But most of all, I loved how cozy and sweet it is. Absolutely delightful. You take a protagonist who’s relatably tired and burnt out from working a shitty, soul-sucking corporate job where they can’t do anything in any meaningful way and give them a little chaos and joy in the form of a sunshine-y boy inhabited by a grumpy but secretly affection-starved prince of hell. Add dumplings and a best friend with no fucks left to give and you have the perfect slump-busting comfort read.
I hope there will be sequels.
Enjoyment: 5/5
Execution: 5/5 just for pulling off 2nd person present ALONE
Recommended to: fellow fans of extremely mundane SFF, anyone looking for books set in a queernorm world, those looking for SFF with Chinese influences that doesn’t hold your hand, if you just need a pick-me-up
Not recommended to: those who really dislike second person?
More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.
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October 30, 2023Ця новела вчора склала мені товариство, доки чекала закінчення комендантської години на вокзалі. Нічний вокзал - простір і так лімінальний, віють темні вітри історії, женучи розгублених сонних людей, та ще й час перевели, подарувавши можливість вдруге прожити годину з третьої до четвертої ночі інакше і краще. Особисто я провела цю другу подаровану годину за читанням новели про техпідтримку в магічній корпорації, родини, які ми обираємо, і те, що навіть пекло не таке страшне, як бюрократія й корпоративні стандарти спілкування (але людиною можна залишатися і в бюрократії, і в пеклі). Мило, цілковито необов'язково для читання, але на вокзалі серед ночі дуже душевно зайшло.
August 8, 2023
Read this modern-world fantasy novella about a trainee wizard working in a call center ASAP if you:
- have ever worked a soul-crushing, dead-end office job
- see a surly/vulnerable teenager and want to wrap them in a blanket and feed them cookies
- dig a found family story
- love a sparkly best friend character
I also want to ask the universe for more second person POV in fiction! It's not the right fit for every story, but when it's right - like it is here! - it's perfection.
- have ever worked a soul-crushing, dead-end office job
- see a surly/vulnerable teenager and want to wrap them in a blanket and feed them cookies
- dig a found family story
- love a sparkly best friend character
I also want to ask the universe for more second person POV in fiction! It's not the right fit for every story, but when it's right - like it is here! - it's perfection.
August 8, 2023
A new novella (I love novellas) and a british published novella (I want to try more non Tor novellas) with some really great buzz on my goodreads main page.
And it is is possible my soul is rusty or something, but while it was fun, and cute, it was somewhat underwhelming - at least to expectations..
A warning, this is written using second person narrative. I am not one of those people who automatically hates second person narrative (I loved Ogres for example), but here it was a turn off indeed. Too omniscient, without a reason I could understand why it was second person narrative (maybe it was just too subtle for my holiday reading?). I did not like that frame, of second person narrative at all. Another issue is that while there is a very cute, manga-ish, plot in here, we are kind of seeing that plot from a more distant character to it - this sounds like a weird complaint, but it is like I am not seeing the story which is interesting to me from the angle I would prefer. So in all, interesting (and very very cute story, I will keep hitting that!) story but which somehow I could not get fully into.
As an aside, I think this has the potential to be really popular, the often mentioned cuteness and all!
And it is is possible my soul is rusty or something, but while it was fun, and cute, it was somewhat underwhelming - at least to expectations..
A warning, this is written using second person narrative. I am not one of those people who automatically hates second person narrative (I loved Ogres for example), but here it was a turn off indeed. Too omniscient, without a reason I could understand why it was second person narrative (maybe it was just too subtle for my holiday reading?). I did not like that frame, of second person narrative at all. Another issue is that while there is a very cute, manga-ish, plot in here, we are kind of seeing that plot from a more distant character to it - this sounds like a weird complaint, but it is like I am not seeing the story which is interesting to me from the angle I would prefer. So in all, interesting (and very very cute story, I will keep hitting that!) story but which somehow I could not get fully into.
As an aside, I think this has the potential to be really popular, the often mentioned cuteness and all!
May 21, 2024
It's a strong testament to Em X. Liu's writing that If Found, Return to Hell is really not my kind of book, and yet I enjoyed it anyway.
Through second-person narration, Liu explains how 'you' are a bored office worker in a numbing day job (the fact that the job is for a spellworking service is irrelevant: a job is a job). The story explores a few themes: the apathy a 9-5 unproductive job generates, the importance of meaningful connection, the politics of a workplace, all superseded by the idea that a family can be a nonbinary magician, their love interest, the wayward college boy they adopt, and the demonic prince possessing his body.
The 'quirky' aspects of this are outweighed by Liu's witty writing and appreciation for detail to create a believable story and earnest relationships between the characters. This is true even when it dives into 'fix-it fanfic' territory. There's a scene where a grumpy character tries to cook for everyone and shenanigans ensue - this isn't derogatory but it IS a bit trite and not my particular vibe. But I have a very low tolerance for this sort of thing, so I think anyone who even vaguely enjoys a cozy fantasy atmosphere will really enjoy this. And at the end of the day... it works! The audiobook may also enhance people's experience here. Nicky Endres pours a lot of personality into the performances!
I think Em X. Liu is really going to be One To Watch in terms of authors - between this cozy fantasy comeda novella and angsty locked-room sci-fi murder mystery Hamlet retelling The Death I Gave Him, they have the range.
Through second-person narration, Liu explains how 'you' are a bored office worker in a numbing day job (the fact that the job is for a spellworking service is irrelevant: a job is a job). The story explores a few themes: the apathy a 9-5 unproductive job generates, the importance of meaningful connection, the politics of a workplace, all superseded by the idea that a family can be a nonbinary magician, their love interest, the wayward college boy they adopt, and the demonic prince possessing his body.
The 'quirky' aspects of this are outweighed by Liu's witty writing and appreciation for detail to create a believable story and earnest relationships between the characters. This is true even when it dives into 'fix-it fanfic' territory. There's a scene where a grumpy character tries to cook for everyone and shenanigans ensue - this isn't derogatory but it IS a bit trite and not my particular vibe. But I have a very low tolerance for this sort of thing, so I think anyone who even vaguely enjoys a cozy fantasy atmosphere will really enjoy this. And at the end of the day... it works! The audiobook may also enhance people's experience here. Nicky Endres pours a lot of personality into the performances!
I think Em X. Liu is really going to be One To Watch in terms of authors - between this cozy fantasy comeda novella and angsty locked-room sci-fi murder mystery Hamlet retelling The Death I Gave Him, they have the range.
July 16, 2023
This was so fun! I almost want to round it up to five stars, but I actually think I wanted this to be a full novel, so I'll leave it rounded down for now. Might change my mind later. Cozy fantasy and found family readers, this is one to check out. I really like Em X. Liu's style; even more excited now for their debut novel in September.
June 20, 2024
My thanks to Jassmine for recommending this book when I was in need of a "I" letter book title. It's a humorous found family tale of a young wizard journeyman, working a dead end job at One Wizard, a corporate owned call center, who's caught up in an adventure of demonic summoning and possession. The hijinks are cute, the characters perhaps cuter, and it's got a feel-good, happy ending that will make any reader smile. A good read.
June 16, 2023
Phenomenal found family novella!
A short light-hearted novella about a wizard call-center intern who accidentally stumbles upon (adopts) the runaway third price of hell. I'm begging you to read this if you like found family. Wang Ran is such a tsundere and the MC is Tired^TM but still doing his best. Love the incorporation of the domestic details of Chinese culture in the story and man this book was just fantastic.
A short light-hearted novella about a wizard call-center intern who accidentally stumbles upon (adopts) the runaway third price of hell. I'm begging you to read this if you like found family. Wang Ran is such a tsundere and the MC is Tired^TM but still doing his best. Love the incorporation of the domestic details of Chinese culture in the story and man this book was just fantastic.
July 2, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
This was such a feel good story and so quirky and sweet and funny. The second person present tense did take me out of the story a bit, it’s just really hard for me to sink into a story the way I usually do when it’s written in that way. But apart from that this was delightful.
This was such a feel good story and so quirky and sweet and funny. The second person present tense did take me out of the story a bit, it’s just really hard for me to sink into a story the way I usually do when it’s written in that way. But apart from that this was delightful.
July 8, 2023
In which the main character has settled into a state of apathy due to their mind-numbing office job, but finds hope again because they meet a Chinese Prince of Hell sharing a body with a college student and adopts them both into his found family. What a fantastic novella. I can't wait for Em X. Liu's debut novel.
June 18, 2023
“You still kind of believe that magic is supposed to be a miracle. You wish you didn’t.”
What happens when you go to investigate a case, even though you’re just a call center intern, and end up unintentionally getting a younger brother inhabited by the prince of hell? What then?
Plot: 5/5
If Found Return to Hell has the perfect pacing for a novella. The story was clever and well executed. If you hate capitalism and the scam of the healthcare industry (and also like magic) you will love this. I really enjoyed the way the capitalistic structure of this world and One Wizard were set up.
Characters: 5/5
Our main character is all of us (and not just because it’s told in second person pov). They are an unwilling cog in the capitalist machine. It has made them doubt their ability and loose all sense of hope. The self discovery and growth they have over the course of the novella is really inspiring.
I adore Wang Ran and Shine. They are absolutely hilarious together. Shine is so perfectly named. He’s so hopeful and caring, the perfect balance for Wang Rans impulsivity and demonic anger.
Writing: 5/5
It takes a special talent to write second person POV well and Liu has that. I was already excited for their debut full length novel but I am even more so now! Their writing style is filled with voice and personality and they know just how to keep a reader engaged. I highlighted so many lines that had me laughing out loud (mostly Wang Ran panicked about caring for a human body)
Overall: 5/5
What happens when you go to investigate a case, even though you’re just a call center intern, and end up unintentionally getting a younger brother inhabited by the prince of hell? What then?
Plot: 5/5
If Found Return to Hell has the perfect pacing for a novella. The story was clever and well executed. If you hate capitalism and the scam of the healthcare industry (and also like magic) you will love this. I really enjoyed the way the capitalistic structure of this world and One Wizard were set up.
Characters: 5/5
Our main character is all of us (and not just because it’s told in second person pov). They are an unwilling cog in the capitalist machine. It has made them doubt their ability and loose all sense of hope. The self discovery and growth they have over the course of the novella is really inspiring.
I adore Wang Ran and Shine. They are absolutely hilarious together. Shine is so perfectly named. He’s so hopeful and caring, the perfect balance for Wang Rans impulsivity and demonic anger.
Writing: 5/5
It takes a special talent to write second person POV well and Liu has that. I was already excited for their debut full length novel but I am even more so now! Their writing style is filled with voice and personality and they know just how to keep a reader engaged. I highlighted so many lines that had me laughing out loud (mostly Wang Ran panicked about caring for a human body)
Overall: 5/5
December 31, 2023
what a way to end the year
read as part of 202-Queer 🌈✨
*buddy read with chrysa 🐻*
read as part of 202-Queer 🌈✨
*buddy read with chrysa 🐻*
August 15, 2023
Charming supernatural novella following an intern at a corporation dealing in all kinds of magical assistance--strongly reminiscent of the bureaucratic nightmare that is the US Healthcare system. It's told in 2nd person, and while it wasn't objectionable, I can't say I loved it--ymmv, but I think I'd have rated this higher had it been in first or third. I enjoyed the characters, but the relationship dynamics here were murky and confusing. I got strong pre-romance vibes from the main character and their ~charge~ but then suddenly at the end everybody is saying they had a sibling-like relationship and then there's a sort of odd development with Wen and his BFF that seems like it maybe was moving from platonic to romantic? It was all very subtle and murky but it made it difficult for me to fully immerse myself because I couldn't really get a sense for what the author was intending for the characters to feel--part of this could, again, be an issue with the 2nd person.
Enjoyable read, and I'll definitely keep an eye out for more from this author, but it didn't quite live up to expectations for me.
Enjoyable read, and I'll definitely keep an eye out for more from this author, but it didn't quite live up to expectations for me.
October 1, 2023
A fun, short read with some interesting mythology and brilliant additions of Chinese culture and mythology.
I loved the first half a lot - the dreary, soul-destroying, happiness-sucking nature of working in a corporate call centre was perfectly captured. Add in the fact it’s a wizarding company, and that’s plenty to make me laugh and shake my head in equal measure.
Told in second person present tense (tricky to pull off, but nailed here), we follow a client who called in with a…problem. Demon possession is what’s happened, and it isn’t as easy as saying an incantation to get rid of said possessor.
The atmosphere felt a little muddled - sometimes very serious, sometimes way too light-hearted and silly, and I wasn’t sure exactly how I felt about it all by the end. There are some sweet scenes, a bit of found family, and beautiful food descriptions1 (I am craving dumplings and a bit of soy sauce now), and it was brilliantly written throughout!
I loved the first half a lot - the dreary, soul-destroying, happiness-sucking nature of working in a corporate call centre was perfectly captured. Add in the fact it’s a wizarding company, and that’s plenty to make me laugh and shake my head in equal measure.
Told in second person present tense (tricky to pull off, but nailed here), we follow a client who called in with a…problem. Demon possession is what’s happened, and it isn’t as easy as saying an incantation to get rid of said possessor.
The atmosphere felt a little muddled - sometimes very serious, sometimes way too light-hearted and silly, and I wasn’t sure exactly how I felt about it all by the end. There are some sweet scenes, a bit of found family, and beautiful food descriptions1 (I am craving dumplings and a bit of soy sauce now), and it was brilliantly written throughout!
September 23, 2024
3.5
I didn't end up enjoying this book as much as I thought I would at the start as Em Liu's funky writing style drew me in. The choice of second person narration for the whole book is bewildering and unnecessary but it almost doesn't matter because her style is quite readable. But it does take me out of the story now and then to be like...oh I'M adopting a demon snake prince?
The story felt fun and whimsical up until it...wasn't and became something of a series of platitudes and almost tumblr-esque quotes. The climax was disappointing and resolved too easily. And the way to escape the dreariness of capitalism is to...start your own business and adopt a kid? Like I get where they're coming from but it's also kind of like eh...ok
The inclusion of Chinese mythology/words was interesting and not too dong dong qiang but overall felt like a light sprinkling of Chinese words and vague ideas about Chinese hell over a largely classic Western wizard setting. Also...where is this supposed to be set?? A fantasy China?? Like everyone is Chinese (except maybe Dino) and they only eat Chinese food and the supermarkets are Chinese but they have English names on top of their Chinese ones? Am I supposed to assume they're actually talking in Mandarin the whole time?
Overall a little clunky but they've got the spirit...I'd be interested to see what they write next!
I didn't end up enjoying this book as much as I thought I would at the start as Em Liu's funky writing style drew me in. The choice of second person narration for the whole book is bewildering and unnecessary but it almost doesn't matter because her style is quite readable. But it does take me out of the story now and then to be like...oh I'M adopting a demon snake prince?
The story felt fun and whimsical up until it...wasn't and became something of a series of platitudes and almost tumblr-esque quotes. The climax was disappointing and resolved too easily. And the way to escape the dreariness of capitalism is to...start your own business and adopt a kid? Like I get where they're coming from but it's also kind of like eh...ok
The inclusion of Chinese mythology/words was interesting and not too dong dong qiang but overall felt like a light sprinkling of Chinese words and vague ideas about Chinese hell over a largely classic Western wizard setting. Also...where is this supposed to be set?? A fantasy China?? Like everyone is Chinese (except maybe Dino) and they only eat Chinese food and the supermarkets are Chinese but they have English names on top of their Chinese ones? Am I supposed to assume they're actually talking in Mandarin the whole time?
Overall a little clunky but they've got the spirit...I'd be interested to see what they write next!
September 18, 2024
Intern at a wizard agency help service center who has someone call in with an issue - fast paced and entertaining novella. This is all in 2nd person (you do this, you note that), which takes a bit to get used to, but was a nice change of pace.
I was engaged, this was just long enough (4.5 hours audio), and I didn't have to exert much brainpower for this being a fantasy world. I'll take it.
I was engaged, this was just long enough (4.5 hours audio), and I didn't have to exert much brainpower for this being a fantasy world. I'll take it.
August 8, 2024
Abrupt ending, but
great characters, cool world, fun.
Gender fluid friends.
great characters, cool world, fun.
Gender fluid friends.
January 4, 2024
Ultimately about 3.5 stars for me. This was fun, and probably appealing to fans of unusual found families, but it didn't really stick in my memory much.
The worldbuilding hook is great: our protagonist works in the customer support phone bank at One Wizard. When an urgent call comes in but the company won't investigate right away, they investigate off the books and get drawn into a complex case of possession. The little details about call quotas and customer support plans give this a real anchor to reality, sort of a fun universe-next-door feeling.
This is also a casually queernorm setting. I don't think the narrator's gender is ever specified, and their best work friend is a woman named Nathaniel. One expert called in uses multiple pronouns and it's never mentioned as something unusual. This isn't a utopia, given the difficult corporate environment and capitalist harshness, but I do think that queernorm aura will really build the coziness for some readers.
I liked the plot, but it never tipped over from "I'm curious about how this ends" to "can't put it down" for me. The ending works well enough-- I think I just wanted a little more tension past the quick resolution, maybe a sense of what our protatonist's next job will entail.
Between this and The Death I Gave Him, I think that Liu has promise, but I'll probably wait a few books before trying again. They have similar appeal (interesting characters in unusual situations)-- there's just a similar lack of focus and muted impact to the conclusions. I'd love to see what Liu is doing in five years.
//
This one is such an unusual, interesting read. It starts off in the faceless phone-bank bureaucracy of the company One Wizard and branches into a broader story about found family and meaningful work. I think some corners are a bit too cozy or under-explained for me, but overall, I think the structure works. It's hard to pull off second person at this length, but Liu keeps it smooth and unobtrusive.
Other recommendations:
-If you'd like to explore the corporate approach to the uncanny with more of a twist toward fae and overt romance, give "The Big Glass Box and the Boys Inside" by Isabel J. Kim a try. It's a short story and a fun sample of her style.
The worldbuilding hook is great: our protagonist works in the customer support phone bank at One Wizard. When an urgent call comes in but the company won't investigate right away, they investigate off the books and get drawn into a complex case of possession. The little details about call quotas and customer support plans give this a real anchor to reality, sort of a fun universe-next-door feeling.
This is also a casually queernorm setting. I don't think the narrator's gender is ever specified, and their best work friend is a woman named Nathaniel. One expert called in uses multiple pronouns and it's never mentioned as something unusual. This isn't a utopia, given the difficult corporate environment and capitalist harshness, but I do think that queernorm aura will really build the coziness for some readers.
I liked the plot, but it never tipped over from "I'm curious about how this ends" to "can't put it down" for me. The ending works well enough-- I think I just wanted a little more tension past the quick resolution, maybe a sense of what our protatonist's next job will entail.
Between this and The Death I Gave Him, I think that Liu has promise, but I'll probably wait a few books before trying again. They have similar appeal (interesting characters in unusual situations)-- there's just a similar lack of focus and muted impact to the conclusions. I'd love to see what Liu is doing in five years.
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This one is such an unusual, interesting read. It starts off in the faceless phone-bank bureaucracy of the company One Wizard and branches into a broader story about found family and meaningful work. I think some corners are a bit too cozy or under-explained for me, but overall, I think the structure works. It's hard to pull off second person at this length, but Liu keeps it smooth and unobtrusive.
Other recommendations:
-If you'd like to explore the corporate approach to the uncanny with more of a twist toward fae and overt romance, give "The Big Glass Box and the Boys Inside" by Isabel J. Kim a try. It's a short story and a fun sample of her style.
October 14, 2023
This was a super randam 3am can't sleep and don't understand a word of what I am reading buy. It was the first book in the kindle recommended for you list and the title and length just sounded perfect for some insominac weednight reading.
And I really enjoyed the story, but kept being confused or put off by the writing. UNfairly I thought at some point if this was written by or rather with AI. There's no mention of it, it could also be just some unrefined writing or I was just not awake enough (it's been a bad week overall).
Overall it was perfect for what I wanted, and the writing wasn't awful it just felt incongruous or clunky at times. I might just try another of the authors books next week if I can't sleep again.
And I really enjoyed the story, but kept being confused or put off by the writing. UNfairly I thought at some point if this was written by or rather with AI. There's no mention of it, it could also be just some unrefined writing or I was just not awake enough (it's been a bad week overall).
Overall it was perfect for what I wanted, and the writing wasn't awful it just felt incongruous or clunky at times. I might just try another of the authors books next week if I can't sleep again.
July 28, 2024
Closer to 4 than 3, so I went with 4 stars. This one took me a bit to get into, but I'm glad I stuck with it. The humor came slowly, but I enjoyed it when it surfaced.
June 30, 2023
exhausted wizard intern accidentally adopting a demon prince of hell is a pretty cool concept and for the most part, this was a fun little book about an unusual found family. i also loved how the protagonist being genderfluid was conveyed to us by one character calling them "jie" and another "ge" (since the story is told in second person).
but i just wasn't as emotionally affected as i should've been, which is the whole point of a found family story. there were parts where i knew i was supposed to be feeling the feels - as these characters awkwardly come together to form a sweet sibling-like relationship - but sadly, i didn't. i think we needed to spend more time seeing these people interact - i just wasn't convinced by how quickly they came to care for each other.
overall though, i'd still recommend this novella since it's a great concept and the writing is fairly good.
but i just wasn't as emotionally affected as i should've been, which is the whole point of a found family story. there were parts where i knew i was supposed to be feeling the feels - as these characters awkwardly come together to form a sweet sibling-like relationship - but sadly, i didn't. i think we needed to spend more time seeing these people interact - i just wasn't convinced by how quickly they came to care for each other.
overall though, i'd still recommend this novella since it's a great concept and the writing is fairly good.
September 15, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
For roughly the first half of this novella, I simultaneously admired the fact that it was original, clever, and well-written (in 2nd person present!), and struggled to keep my attention on it. Blame the hangover from the last book, blame the immersive, sink-or-swim approach to worldbuilding, blame the fact that it opens with a tedious workplace seminar; whatever. It didn't feel like a slog, but I could have easily put it down and wandered off.
I'm glad I didn't: the second half really picked up. There was a fun, truly unexpected twist, but more effective was the deepening of the relationships between Wen, Shine, Wang Ran, Nathaniel, and even Shine's ma. What can I say, I need emotional investment in my reading. Once the narrative shifted from apathetic-corporate-drudge-ground-down-by-life to a more active, engaged, choosing main character, it zipped along much better.
Basically "if you start out depressed, everything's kind of a pleasant surprise" in novella form.
For roughly the first half of this novella, I simultaneously admired the fact that it was original, clever, and well-written (in 2nd person present!), and struggled to keep my attention on it. Blame the hangover from the last book, blame the immersive, sink-or-swim approach to worldbuilding, blame the fact that it opens with a tedious workplace seminar; whatever. It didn't feel like a slog, but I could have easily put it down and wandered off.
I'm glad I didn't: the second half really picked up. There was a fun, truly unexpected twist, but more effective was the deepening of the relationships between Wen, Shine, Wang Ran, Nathaniel, and even Shine's ma. What can I say, I need emotional investment in my reading. Once the narrative shifted from apathetic-corporate-drudge-ground-down-by-life to a more active, engaged, choosing main character, it zipped along much better.
Basically "if you start out depressed, everything's kind of a pleasant surprise" in novella form.
April 2, 2024
I liked this book. It is in some ways reminiscent of some of Tom Holt's older books with its emphasis on bureaucracy and how it extends even to magical things. The book is written in the 2nd person and I think the author handles it quite well. The setting is interesting, though the author does not reveal too much of it, choosing rather to rely on references and brief descriptions.
As for characterwork, the protagonist's character was well written, but the others could have done with a bit more elaboration. I found Nathaniel to be fascinating and was a bit frustrated at how little space the author devoted to that aspect.
The pacing is handled well and it serves the pretty solid plot adequately. I believe this is the author's debut and I hope we get more books in this universe as this book really reads like a tantalizing introduction to a fascinating UF series.
As for characterwork, the protagonist's character was well written, but the others could have done with a bit more elaboration. I found Nathaniel to be fascinating and was a bit frustrated at how little space the author devoted to that aspect.
The pacing is handled well and it serves the pretty solid plot adequately. I believe this is the author's debut and I hope we get more books in this universe as this book really reads like a tantalizing introduction to a fascinating UF series.
August 1, 2023
Possibly more of a 4.5 though.
I mean did decide to buy this novella because it had some great reviews. But I really wasn’t expecting to love it so much instantly.
Turns out, it’s another wonderful example of what cozy fantasy is all about. The writing is evocative and charming, even though we are following our MC, who is an intern at a corporate wizarding call center, and is completely drained by the bureaucratic/ capitalistic nightmare that is her job. The story is told in second person and we don’t even get to know our protagonist’s name till almost the end but that doesn’t matter because one phone call changes the trajectory of their life and we are hooked. Then we get a delightful story of found family, love, possession, a demon prince from Hell and possibly some unexpected deal making - but who cares because I found myself swept away in the tenderness of the bonds that develop, and the kindness and compassion that our protagonist exemplifies in a world that probably doesn’t reward them for these qualities.
Overall, this maybe a completely different world and writing style, but this little novella gave me the same joy I have felt while reading the exploits of Murderbot. So if you want to read an unexpectedly sweet little novella about love and hope, in a possibly bleak world, go for it. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
I mean did decide to buy this novella because it had some great reviews. But I really wasn’t expecting to love it so much instantly.
Turns out, it’s another wonderful example of what cozy fantasy is all about. The writing is evocative and charming, even though we are following our MC, who is an intern at a corporate wizarding call center, and is completely drained by the bureaucratic/ capitalistic nightmare that is her job. The story is told in second person and we don’t even get to know our protagonist’s name till almost the end but that doesn’t matter because one phone call changes the trajectory of their life and we are hooked. Then we get a delightful story of found family, love, possession, a demon prince from Hell and possibly some unexpected deal making - but who cares because I found myself swept away in the tenderness of the bonds that develop, and the kindness and compassion that our protagonist exemplifies in a world that probably doesn’t reward them for these qualities.
Overall, this maybe a completely different world and writing style, but this little novella gave me the same joy I have felt while reading the exploits of Murderbot. So if you want to read an unexpectedly sweet little novella about love and hope, in a possibly bleak world, go for it. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
July 30, 2023
Delightful, wish it were longer. Magic, bureaucracy, demons and cinnamon buns, what more could I ask for? Lovely, cozy, highly recommend for slice of life comfy read.
November 19, 2023
this was cute :)
September 6, 2023
The living and the dead are all plagued by the same thing these days. Bureaucracy, and the banality of stupid men.
This was the cutest thing ever! Found family with some quirky humour mixed in, If Found, Return to Hell is my new fav comfort read. I want more of Em X. Liu's writing because it seems perfect for me. I picked up this novella after reading the author's upcoming The Death I Gave Him which could not be any more different than this, both in terms of plot and themes. Both books, however, managed to bewitch me with the wonderful writing, as well as the diverse range Liu seems to have. A debut author, but one I will be looking out for. This novella is the perfect blend of cozy fantasy, comedy, a slow-burn romance and found family. It's also not at twee at all for readers who don't like that in their cozy fantasy but succeeds in making your heart feel so very warm and full.
I read this after reading Isabel J. Kim's The Big Glass Box and the Boys Inside, both of which feature a bureaucratic magic company and the employee who works there. Both are pretty wholesome and cute but at the same time pretty different from each other. I liked Liu's novella more than Kim's short story, mainly because I appreciated the depth the longer length was able to pack in and deliver a more emotional story.
This was the cutest thing ever! Found family with some quirky humour mixed in, If Found, Return to Hell is my new fav comfort read. I want more of Em X. Liu's writing because it seems perfect for me. I picked up this novella after reading the author's upcoming The Death I Gave Him which could not be any more different than this, both in terms of plot and themes. Both books, however, managed to bewitch me with the wonderful writing, as well as the diverse range Liu seems to have. A debut author, but one I will be looking out for. This novella is the perfect blend of cozy fantasy, comedy, a slow-burn romance and found family. It's also not at twee at all for readers who don't like that in their cozy fantasy but succeeds in making your heart feel so very warm and full.
I read this after reading Isabel J. Kim's The Big Glass Box and the Boys Inside, both of which feature a bureaucratic magic company and the employee who works there. Both are pretty wholesome and cute but at the same time pretty different from each other. I liked Liu's novella more than Kim's short story, mainly because I appreciated the depth the longer length was able to pack in and deliver a more emotional story.
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