From debut author Emily Yu-Xuan Qin comes a snarky urban fantasy novel inspired by Chinese and First Nation mythology and bursting with wit, compelling characters, and LGBTQIA+ representation
Readers of Seanan McGuire, Ilona Andrews, and Ben Aaronovitch will devour this gory story—and the sweet-as-Canadian-maple-syrup sapphic romance at its monstrous heart

Tam hasn’t eaten anyone in years.

She is now Mama’s soft-spoken, vegan daughter—everything dangerous about her is cut out.

But when Tam’s estranged Aunt Tigress is found murdered and skinned, Tam inherits an undead fox in a shoebox, and an ensemble of old enemies.

The demons, the ghosts, the gods running coffee shops by the river? Fine. The tentacled thing stalking Tam across the city? Absolutely not. And when Tam realizes the girl she’s falling in love with might be yet another loose end from her past? That’s just the brassy, beautiful cherry on top.

Because no matter how quietly she lives, Tam can’t hide from her voracious upbringing, nor the suffering she caused. As she navigates romance, redemption, and the end of the world, she can’t help but wonder…

Do monsters even deserve happy endings?

With worldbuilding inspired by Chinese folklore and the Siksiká Nation in Canada, LGBTQIA+ representation, and a sapphic romance, Aunt Tigress is at once familiar and breathtakingly innovative.

Emily Yu-Xuan Qin's profile page

Emily Yu-Xuan Qin has a Master of Arts from the University of Calgary. She is a first-generation immigrant to Canada. As a child, she was sluggish in learning English—until she picked up her first Animorphs book. She can be found online at EmilyQin.com or @EyxQin on Twitter.

"Qin, in her impressive debut, shows that she’s a talent to remember as she pulls
readers into a thrilling adventure full of unique folklore and deadly monsters." —Wesley Chu, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of the War Arts Saga

"Aunt Tigress is a tale that shows us the dark and disturbing underbelly of supernatural Calgary. Qin writes with bold style and weaves intricate lore nestled within a story that will make you feel like you’re seated at the scariest campfire of your life!" —Julia Vee, author of Ebony Gate
"Wonderfully surreal, Aunt Tigress is a refreshingly original debut full of magic, written with love. Come for the Chinese and First Nation mythology, stay for the sapphic romance."—Salinee Goldenberg, author of The Last Phi Hunter
"What a fabulous book! Fresh, beautiful, and brilliant, with lovely prose that
wraps around you and draws you deep into a unique and incredible story." —Diana Rowland, author of the Kara Gillian novels
"Original and wildly inventive, Aunt Tigress takes place in a world of intersecting mythologies and storylines. With prose as vivid as black stripes on an orange hide, and characters who leap snarling off the page, Emily Yu-Xuan Qin’s debut novel is as exhilarating as it is thoughtful and tender." —D. M. Bryan, author of Pugg’s Portmanteau