The novel is written in the style of magical realism, similar to the writing of Italo Calvino's Cosmicomics.

[1] The setting is based on a recognizable, contemporary urban environment in China, augmented and enhanced by the presence of the various beasts described by the narrator.

One feature that sets Yong'an apart from other large cities in China is the presence of different sorts of beasts.

She was a zoology student who eventually dropped out of school and now makes a living as a journalist writing beast stories.

This is the only realm visible by humans - the unnamed narrator would be witnessing a domain of samsara when writing her accounts of the beasts.

[12][13] Notable examples include the character, Zhong Kui, the name of a famous demon killer in Chinese mythology.

However, the English translation made no distinction between the language at the beginning of each chapter and the remainder of the text.