✨ Title: River God

🥸 Alternative Title: 河神, Hé Shén

🕵️ Detective(s): Ding Mao, Guo Deyou

🧑 Author: Tian Xia Ba Chang (天下霸唱)

📚 Series: God of River (河神)

📚 Series Status: Completed

#️⃣ Books in the Series️: 1 Volume (20 Chapters + 1 Side story)

🌎 Country of Origin: China (Mainland)

🗓️ Published: 2013

🖨️ Publisher: New World Press (新世界出版社)

𝄃𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄀 ISBN: 978-7519028756

🔢 ASIN:

💬Original Language: Chinese

🌐 English Translation Available?: Yes

⌛Age Level: Ages 14–17 (Teen / Young Adult), Ages 18+ (Adult)

⚔️ Violent Content: Strong

🫣 Foul Language: Mild

💋 Sexual Content: None

💯 Overall Assessment: Teen Friendly

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Set along the murky waterways of Republican era Tianjin, the novel follows Guo Deyou, a man deeply tied to the river and its long history of rituals, secrets, and whispered superstitions. When a string of strange deaths begins to surface from the water, Guo becomes involved not just as an observer, but as someone uniquely attuned to the patterns hidden beneath the surface. His understanding of river lore and human nature allows him to move between the practical world of investigation and the shadowy realm of belief that shapes how people interpret what they see.

As the story unfolds, the mystery widens into something more layered, where crime, folklore, and human ambition intertwine. What first appears supernatural often reveals human motives, yet the novel never fully strips away the eerie presence of the river itself, which feels almost like a character. Through encounters with officials, locals, and those who exploit fear for power, the narrative explores how myth and reality coexist, and how easily one can be used to mask the other.

Series

• God of River (📕)
• Tientsin Mystic (📺)
• The Guardian Liu Heng Shun (📺)
• River God Water Strange Story (🎞️)

Tianxia Bachang is a bestselling Chinese author known for blending folklore, history, and suspense into richly atmospheric adventure mysteries. He rose to prominence with the hugely popular Ghost Blows Out the Light series, which helped define the modern “tomb-raiding” genre in Chinese fiction, combining archaeology, myth, and fast-paced storytelling. His works often draw on regional legends, secret societies, and obscure traditions, grounding supernatural elements in detailed cultural settings. Beyond 河神 (God of River), his stories frequently explore how belief and human ambition intersect, and many have been adapted into successful films and television dramas, expanding his influence across both literature and screen.

This will link to either the series itself or the first book in the series depending on the site.