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Foul Lady Fortune #1
Foul Lady Fortune
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2022)It’s 1931 in Shanghai, and the stage is set for a new decade of intrigue.
Four years ago, Rosalind Lang was brought back from the brink of death, but the strange experiment that saved her also stopped her from sleeping and aging—and allows her to heal from any wound. In short, Rosalind cannot die. Now, desperate for redemption for her traitorous past, she uses her abilities as an assassin for her country.
Code name: Fortune.
But when the Japanese Imperial Army begins its invasion march, Rosalind’s mission pivots. A series of murders is causing unrest in Shanghai, and the Japanese are under suspicion. Rosalind’s new orders are to infiltrate foreign society and identify the culprits behind the terror plot before more of her people are killed.
To reduce suspicion, however, she must pose as the wife of another Nationalist spy, Orion Hong, and though Rosalind finds Orion’s cavalier attitude and playboy demeanor infuriating, she is willing to work with him for the greater good. But Orion has an agenda of his own, and Rosalind has secrets that she wants to keep buried. As they both attempt to unravel the conspiracy, the two spies soon find that there are deeper and more horrifying layers to this mystery than they ever imagined.
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends comes the first book in a captivating new duology following an ill-matched pair of spies posing as a married couple to investigate a series of brutal murders in 1930s Shanghai.
Four years ago, Rosalind Lang was brought back from the brink of death, but the strange experiment that saved her also stopped her from sleeping and aging—and allows her to heal from any wound. In short, Rosalind cannot die. Now, desperate for redemption for her traitorous past, she uses her abilities as an assassin for her country.
Code name: Fortune.
But when the Japanese Imperial Army begins its invasion march, Rosalind’s mission pivots. A series of murders is causing unrest in Shanghai, and the Japanese are under suspicion. Rosalind’s new orders are to infiltrate foreign society and identify the culprits behind the terror plot before more of her people are killed.
To reduce suspicion, however, she must pose as the wife of another Nationalist spy, Orion Hong, and though Rosalind finds Orion’s cavalier attitude and playboy demeanor infuriating, she is willing to work with him for the greater good. But Orion has an agenda of his own, and Rosalind has secrets that she wants to keep buried. As they both attempt to unravel the conspiracy, the two spies soon find that there are deeper and more horrifying layers to this mystery than they ever imagined.
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends comes the first book in a captivating new duology following an ill-matched pair of spies posing as a married couple to investigate a series of brutal murders in 1930s Shanghai.
528 pages, Hardcover
First published September 27, 2022
About the author
Chloe Gong
17 books24.4k followersChloe Gong is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Secret Shanghai novels, as well as the Flesh and False Gods trilogy. Her books have been published in over twenty countries and have been featured in the New York Times, PEOPLE, Cosmopolitan, and more. She was named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 for 2024. Chloe graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in English and International Relations. Born in Shanghai and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, she is now located in New York City, pretending to be a real adult.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,978 reviews
June 2, 2022
Since early copies of Foul Lady Fortune are making their way out, I wanted to write a little note to welcome the readers—both returning and new. Foul Lady Fortune is a speculative historical thriller inspired by Shakespeare’s As You Like It, and if your first thought was “So how many genres is that?!” it might be easier to pitch this book as a Chinese period drama meets a Marvel movie. You can dive right into Foul Lady Fortune without reading the original duology, as all the events that have already happened in These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends are explained within the text and you won’t need any background knowledge!
That being said, if you do plan to go back to the original duology, Foul Lady Fortune will spoil its outcome, so it’s better to go chronologically if you don’t want to skip those two books. And for readers who came after the conclusion of Our Violent Ends… yes while Foul Lady Fortune is book 1 of its own duology, it’s also book 3 to continue the world we already opened. I’ll let you interpret that however you wish ;)
You’ll be reunited with Rosalind Lang, Celia Lang, Alisa Montagova, and some other familiar faces walking within the pages… because what fun is a spin-off series without some callbacks to the original, right? You’ll also meet the rest of a whole new cast: Orion Hong—the playboy middle child with plenty of secrets, Oliver Hong—the duty-driven eldest, and Phoebe Hong—the gremlin little sister who is a ball of chaos. Everyone has something to lose; everyone has something to gain. This is a time of civil war and foreign invasion, which means no one is who they seem.
At the heart of it, despite its enormous character cast, Foul Lady Fortune is about Rosalind. She’s bitter and prickly and is prone toward running away instead of facing the world, yet I love her so much more for how hard she tries anyway. I hope you come to love her too. And although I don’t use the term in the book itself because the term had yet to be invented, Rosalind is demisexual and her narration explores this in detail.
Context warnings for this book include: blood, violence, murder, weapon use, needles, description of human experimentation, descriptions of war, descriptions of head injury.
Thank you for reading. <3 I hope you enjoy your time amid secrets and lies and betrayal… and love. There will always be love.
That being said, if you do plan to go back to the original duology, Foul Lady Fortune will spoil its outcome, so it’s better to go chronologically if you don’t want to skip those two books. And for readers who came after the conclusion of Our Violent Ends… yes while Foul Lady Fortune is book 1 of its own duology, it’s also book 3 to continue the world we already opened. I’ll let you interpret that however you wish ;)
You’ll be reunited with Rosalind Lang, Celia Lang, Alisa Montagova, and some other familiar faces walking within the pages… because what fun is a spin-off series without some callbacks to the original, right? You’ll also meet the rest of a whole new cast: Orion Hong—the playboy middle child with plenty of secrets, Oliver Hong—the duty-driven eldest, and Phoebe Hong—the gremlin little sister who is a ball of chaos. Everyone has something to lose; everyone has something to gain. This is a time of civil war and foreign invasion, which means no one is who they seem.
At the heart of it, despite its enormous character cast, Foul Lady Fortune is about Rosalind. She’s bitter and prickly and is prone toward running away instead of facing the world, yet I love her so much more for how hard she tries anyway. I hope you come to love her too. And although I don’t use the term in the book itself because the term had yet to be invented, Rosalind is demisexual and her narration explores this in detail.
Context warnings for this book include: blood, violence, murder, weapon use, needles, description of human experimentation, descriptions of war, descriptions of head injury.
Thank you for reading. <3 I hope you enjoy your time amid secrets and lies and betrayal… and love. There will always be love.
March 31, 2022
No for real, spy thrillers set in the Republic of China era are a staple in c-dramas, and here Miss Chloe is, finally bringing it to Western YA! The era is famous for the amount of spying and information warfare that went on as the Nationalists (of the Kuomintang, technically the legitimate government of China), communists (persecuted and fighting to stay alive against the Kuomintang), and imperialists (slowly encroaching on China on behalf of Imperial Japan) vied for dominance over a fractured China. NO ONE's true loyalties were certain as the factions planted spies in each other's ranks--you had double agents, triple agents, quadruple agents. Families split along political lines as each member followed their own vision of China's future. Add Captain-America-esque super serums and fake marriage into the mix, and you have Foul Lady Fortune, a mystery that will certainly leave you shook as it unravels layer by sinister layer.
CHLOE!!! DAMMIT!!!!!!!!
December 29, 2022
i was sooo confused for the majority of this book... and i loved it!
there are so many different sides, with double and triple agents, all with different alias and allegiances, that it was difficult to keep it all straight and really know what was going on. especially because this book is so long. but i quickly found out that i didnt really care if i was confused or not because of the excitement of it all!
this is a great spy noir book set in a time filled with intriguing history and integrates really cool sci-fi elements. i must have missed the memo that this is connected to CGs previous ‘these violent delights’ duology, so i would highly recommend reading that series first. but i had a lot of fun with this and really loved the characters.
if you enjoyed ‘these violent delights,’ then you are going to want to pick this up because it feels like a very seamless continuation of the story.
↠ 3.5 stars
there are so many different sides, with double and triple agents, all with different alias and allegiances, that it was difficult to keep it all straight and really know what was going on. especially because this book is so long. but i quickly found out that i didnt really care if i was confused or not because of the excitement of it all!
this is a great spy noir book set in a time filled with intriguing history and integrates really cool sci-fi elements. i must have missed the memo that this is connected to CGs previous ‘these violent delights’ duology, so i would highly recommend reading that series first. but i had a lot of fun with this and really loved the characters.
if you enjoyed ‘these violent delights,’ then you are going to want to pick this up because it feels like a very seamless continuation of the story.
↠ 3.5 stars
April 5, 2024
ᝰ.ᐟ 📂 5 stars. 𓏲࣪
⤿ spoilers are marked ┆ links listed at end
i fear i will never beat the “rates chloe gong’s books 5 stars just because” allegations, and here we are <3 foul lady fortune is a a retelling of shakespeare’s as you like it, set in 1930’s shanghai. the author draws on her chinese heritage and has touched the hearts of many readers, including children of diaspora, as she interlaces this book with nuanced history references and the lasting mark colonialism left on 20th century asia. gong creates a promising group of characters, weaving in representation that i rarely read about, and was rather refreshing to see! in literature, it is of the utmost importance to allow readers to gain a deeper understanding of different cultures, experiences, perspectives, etc. for many, being able to see themselves reflected in the main characters is a way of comfort. i love how you can always trust chloe gong to refer to prejudice and how it strikes a chord within the story arc!
i. plot. the book follows rosalind lang, reeling from the aftermath set in our violent ends. four years ago, she was brought back from the brink of death, her life being saved by an experimental drug. this has disastrous affects, as our protagonist becomes immortal— she cannot sleep, age, and has the unique ability to heal from whatever physical wound one can cause. rosalind, put simply, is a medical enigma. plagued by guilt, she uses these powers for redemption, becoming an assassin for the nationalists. code name: fortune. her mission is to investigate the series of murders, infiltrate a foreign society, but the catch is.. she has to pose with another spy as a married couple. her partner, orion hong, has a charming demeanor and is prone to making rosa infuriated just for the fun of it. these two uncover secrets, allegiances, and may end up finding out hidden truths about each other.
intrigue is a staple of the author’s writing, and you can see it as an evident theme when reading. there is a feeling of buildup conveyed throughout, with scenes you thought were insignificant gaining greater resonance as the story unfolds. a constant nagging lingers in the back of your mind of if our mcs will end up choosing each other in the end, but just when hope emerges and there’s a spark of a deserving future, everything comes crashing down and the lines between loyalty + betrayal become blurred. it’s the magic of a well-crafted plot, i feel like you gain such a strong connection with rosa, orion, celia, and all of the other characters!
one common question that arose surrounding this duology is: “do i have to read these violent delights and our violent ends to get to the spin-off series?” there was tons of criticism about tvd and ove about the flowery prose, which i completely agree with. the pacing and character introspection in the two books almost felt like too much, and overloading us with information— to the point of eventually losing interest. it was a bit clunky at times, so my recommendation is, if you were one of the few unlucky readers to have struggled with these violent delights, read the summary on wikipedia and give foul lady fortune a shot! gong’s writing has improved drastically, blending together different elements into a captivating whole.
ii. annotations. slight spoilers ⟡
⤿ rosalind lang. she’s sharp, quick to respond, and just one of my favorites! during the earlier books of the secret shanghai series, i had grown to slightly dislike her and have some skepticism because of her jealous exterior and bitter tendencies. but her perspective made me appreciate her so much more, she carries the whole world on her shoulders and thinks that if she just keeps her head up for a little while longer, perhaps all the problems will start to patch themselves up. rosa is dear to me for these reasons, she’s real and raw. the way rosalind still manages to be there for celia is admirable, she is always there to offer unwavering support. their sister bond is unbreakable, unchangeable, and it’s the one stable factor in her life. that’s one little piece of flf that stuck with me even after almost a month.
orion hong. his playboy socialite demeanor felt like a facade for how he was due to his parents being absent for almost half of his life. orion is essentially shattered because of his family, the two most important people in his life suddenly deciding that perhaps they didn’t want to be part of it anymore. he clung to the pieces of his breaking heart and keeps trying to glue it back together, a struggle i found both endearing and emotional. he’s so intelligent, something i didn’t quite see until further into the book. orion is more of a secret, his life is hidden, but i eventually got to view him as heartfelt and sweet.
iii. rosarion + side characters. i genuinely cannot form coherent thoughts or words about rosalind and orion. they are a contrasting pairing with their unspoken interactions being something i literally wanted to flip to and reread over and over again until it was etched into my mind. also, the parallels were masterfully created, orion and oliver mirroring rosa and celia, both having a somewhat marred relationship. each of the side characters all have important roles to play and the feeling of simply realizing how they fit into the story always leaves me in awe. [will be unavailable for the next year due to rosarion]
⌗ 🏷️┆trigger warnings. violence, needles, weapon use, murder, human experimentation, war + etc. (please keep in mind that this may not be all of them)
⊹ links.
my playlist
iso’s review you do want to read this, it’s the law.
where you can buy the book
if anyone is interested in literature that was actually written in 1930s shanghai, these are some of the author’s favorites: couldn’t find links to these, i'm so sorry, but they include “the man who was treated like a plaything,” “shanghai fox-trot,” and “craven a.”
⤿ bottom line. foul lady fortune was such a lovely read, a speculative historical thriller filled with espionage that will stay on my mind for a long time <3 the characters are just my favorite people ever, please give the secret shanghai universe a try, i promise you won’t regret it! ♡
⤿ spoilers are marked ┆ links listed at end
꒰ ⊹ “spend long enough gluing together a shattered glass vase, and you will have a vase again.”
i fear i will never beat the “rates chloe gong’s books 5 stars just because” allegations, and here we are <3 foul lady fortune is a a retelling of shakespeare’s as you like it, set in 1930’s shanghai. the author draws on her chinese heritage and has touched the hearts of many readers, including children of diaspora, as she interlaces this book with nuanced history references and the lasting mark colonialism left on 20th century asia. gong creates a promising group of characters, weaving in representation that i rarely read about, and was rather refreshing to see! in literature, it is of the utmost importance to allow readers to gain a deeper understanding of different cultures, experiences, perspectives, etc. for many, being able to see themselves reflected in the main characters is a way of comfort. i love how you can always trust chloe gong to refer to prejudice and how it strikes a chord within the story arc!
i. plot. the book follows rosalind lang, reeling from the aftermath set in our violent ends. four years ago, she was brought back from the brink of death, her life being saved by an experimental drug. this has disastrous affects, as our protagonist becomes immortal— she cannot sleep, age, and has the unique ability to heal from whatever physical wound one can cause. rosalind, put simply, is a medical enigma. plagued by guilt, she uses these powers for redemption, becoming an assassin for the nationalists. code name: fortune. her mission is to investigate the series of murders, infiltrate a foreign society, but the catch is.. she has to pose with another spy as a married couple. her partner, orion hong, has a charming demeanor and is prone to making rosa infuriated just for the fun of it. these two uncover secrets, allegiances, and may end up finding out hidden truths about each other.
intrigue is a staple of the author’s writing, and you can see it as an evident theme when reading. there is a feeling of buildup conveyed throughout, with scenes you thought were insignificant gaining greater resonance as the story unfolds. a constant nagging lingers in the back of your mind of if our mcs will end up choosing each other in the end, but just when hope emerges and there’s a spark of a deserving future, everything comes crashing down and the lines between loyalty + betrayal become blurred. it’s the magic of a well-crafted plot, i feel like you gain such a strong connection with rosa, orion, celia, and all of the other characters!
one common question that arose surrounding this duology is: “do i have to read these violent delights and our violent ends to get to the spin-off series?” there was tons of criticism about tvd and ove about the flowery prose, which i completely agree with. the pacing and character introspection in the two books almost felt like too much, and overloading us with information— to the point of eventually losing interest. it was a bit clunky at times, so my recommendation is, if you were one of the few unlucky readers to have struggled with these violent delights, read the summary on wikipedia and give foul lady fortune a shot! gong’s writing has improved drastically, blending together different elements into a captivating whole.
ii. annotations. slight spoilers ⟡
- “nation over everything. but not you, sweetheart. never your life in exchange.”
- “rosalind had been in a world of pain, her family’s punishment still fresh and raw, the whip marks on her back still bloody. she wanted to take it out on the world. she wanted to resent everyone she loved – just to feel something other than helplessness.”
- “you can’t ask me not to love you by keeping me at arm’s length. I'll love you anyway.”
⤿ rosalind lang. she’s sharp, quick to respond, and just one of my favorites! during the earlier books of the secret shanghai series, i had grown to slightly dislike her and have some skepticism because of her jealous exterior and bitter tendencies. but her perspective made me appreciate her so much more, she carries the whole world on her shoulders and thinks that if she just keeps her head up for a little while longer, perhaps all the problems will start to patch themselves up. rosa is dear to me for these reasons, she’s real and raw. the way rosalind still manages to be there for celia is admirable, she is always there to offer unwavering support. their sister bond is unbreakable, unchangeable, and it’s the one stable factor in her life. that’s one little piece of flf that stuck with me even after almost a month.
orion hong. his playboy socialite demeanor felt like a facade for how he was due to his parents being absent for almost half of his life. orion is essentially shattered because of his family, the two most important people in his life suddenly deciding that perhaps they didn’t want to be part of it anymore. he clung to the pieces of his breaking heart and keeps trying to glue it back together, a struggle i found both endearing and emotional. he’s so intelligent, something i didn’t quite see until further into the book. orion is more of a secret, his life is hidden, but i eventually got to view him as heartfelt and sweet.
iii. rosarion + side characters. i genuinely cannot form coherent thoughts or words about rosalind and orion. they are a contrasting pairing with their unspoken interactions being something i literally wanted to flip to and reread over and over again until it was etched into my mind. also, the parallels were masterfully created, orion and oliver mirroring rosa and celia, both having a somewhat marred relationship. each of the side characters all have important roles to play and the feeling of simply realizing how they fit into the story always leaves me in awe. [will be unavailable for the next year due to rosarion]
⌗ 🏷️┆trigger warnings. violence, needles, weapon use, murder, human experimentation, war + etc. (please keep in mind that this may not be all of them)
⊹ links.
my playlist
iso’s review you do want to read this, it’s the law.
where you can buy the book
if anyone is interested in literature that was actually written in 1930s shanghai, these are some of the author’s favorites: couldn’t find links to these, i'm so sorry, but they include “the man who was treated like a plaything,” “shanghai fox-trot,” and “craven a.”
⤿ bottom line. foul lady fortune was such a lovely read, a speculative historical thriller filled with espionage that will stay on my mind for a long time <3 the characters are just my favorite people ever, please give the secret shanghai universe a try, i promise you won’t regret it! ♡
July 2, 2023
"All she had ever known was love wielded as a weapon, love wielded as a falsity to lower her guard."
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (If I could rate it higher I would)
❗This is a spoiler-free ARC review from NetGalley❗
I finally got out of my reading slump. AT LAST. I knew this book would do it for me. COVID came at me hard and put me in a reading slump for over a week, then I had to prepare for my graduation right after, and then I went on vacation with my friends. I hadn't touched a book the entire time and it was KILLING ME. But Chloe Gong has delivered again. This was a masterpiece.
I can't tell you how blessed I feel to have been accepted for this ARC. I loved These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends so much and I was so happy that the series didn't just end there, mostly because that ending obliterated me. No one can expect something different from a Romeo and Juliet retelling, though. I could say that this series has more chances of letting my poor heart be, but it has already wrecked me, so I guess hope's for dopes. Just the mere mention of Roma and Juliette, and Benedict and Marshal had me weeping like a little baby. There was no conceivable possibility for me not to fall head over heels in love with this masterpiece. Chloe Gong's power over me is strong and eternal. I don't think I've read a spy book before but I enjoyed this so much I might actually give more books like this a try. Not that any of them will live up to this one, of course. The plot twists alone were enough to completely destroy whatever was left of my sanity. The plot itself was fast-paced, well-developed, fun, and complex in a way that didn't allow a single moment of pause. The very first chapter grabbed hold of my senses and did not let go. I was hooked.
I wasn't too interested in Rosalind's character while reading TVD and OVE to be perfectly honest. Sure, I felt bad for her and what she had been through but that was it. Now, I can safely safe that I love her almost as much as Orion loves her. And that's A WHOLE LOT. She is an incredible character and her development from the girl we knew in TVD and OVE to this skilled, immortal, and badass assassin was astounding. I was mind-blown. And she kept on developing in this book from a person broken by love and sworn off it to one that has learned to accept love and trust again. Rosalind's character arc made me so emotional.
As for Orion, he definitely found his place in my fictional male crushes. His aloofness, and playboy personality were a delight on the page. I just felt pure joy whenever he was around. Yet, he was more than capable of showing gravitas whenever it was called for and cared deeply for the people in his life. Especially Rosalind 😉😉 He said 'my wife' so many times my heart almost gave away. He had and still has his own demons to deal with, making his backstory just as compelling as Rosalind's and his life incredibly complicated. That boy needs some serious help.
I loved every moment between Rosalind and Orion. Their chemistry was off the chart, the dynamic between them was *chef's kiss*. Every moment spent with them was a blessing. I couldn't get enough of them. Their banter was immediate, not even a few minutes after they met. The romance was so slow-burn that I was literally pulling at my hair reading about it. It was more than worth it though because their love for each other is so deep and so intense it made me hate the lame reality I live in. Even more so than I did before 😅😅 Men should read this book and learn from Orion. Seriously, he has a lot to teach them. The pet names were my favorite, though. Orion sure has a range of them 😍😍
Moreover, same as in TVD and OVE, there were multiple POVs other than Orion's and Rosalind's, even some secret ones too. Some of them we already knew like Celia (formerly known as Kathleen) Rosalind's triplet sister turned Communist spy, and Roma's little sister Alisa Montagova, who is now 17 years old and a pretty awesome (and hilarious) spy herself. There are also some newcomers as well. Namely Oliver and Phoebe, Orion's siblings, who are quite the delight themselves and have their own little romances that I am heavily invested in and can't wait to hear more about.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (If I could rate it higher I would)
❗This is a spoiler-free ARC review from NetGalley❗
I finally got out of my reading slump. AT LAST. I knew this book would do it for me. COVID came at me hard and put me in a reading slump for over a week, then I had to prepare for my graduation right after, and then I went on vacation with my friends. I hadn't touched a book the entire time and it was KILLING ME. But Chloe Gong has delivered again. This was a masterpiece.
I can't tell you how blessed I feel to have been accepted for this ARC. I loved These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends so much and I was so happy that the series didn't just end there, mostly because that ending obliterated me. No one can expect something different from a Romeo and Juliet retelling, though. I could say that this series has more chances of letting my poor heart be, but it has already wrecked me, so I guess hope's for dopes. Just the mere mention of Roma and Juliette, and Benedict and Marshal had me weeping like a little baby. There was no conceivable possibility for me not to fall head over heels in love with this masterpiece. Chloe Gong's power over me is strong and eternal. I don't think I've read a spy book before but I enjoyed this so much I might actually give more books like this a try. Not that any of them will live up to this one, of course. The plot twists alone were enough to completely destroy whatever was left of my sanity. The plot itself was fast-paced, well-developed, fun, and complex in a way that didn't allow a single moment of pause. The very first chapter grabbed hold of my senses and did not let go. I was hooked.
I wasn't too interested in Rosalind's character while reading TVD and OVE to be perfectly honest. Sure, I felt bad for her and what she had been through but that was it. Now, I can safely safe that I love her almost as much as Orion loves her. And that's A WHOLE LOT. She is an incredible character and her development from the girl we knew in TVD and OVE to this skilled, immortal, and badass assassin was astounding. I was mind-blown. And she kept on developing in this book from a person broken by love and sworn off it to one that has learned to accept love and trust again. Rosalind's character arc made me so emotional.
As for Orion, he definitely found his place in my fictional male crushes. His aloofness, and playboy personality were a delight on the page. I just felt pure joy whenever he was around. Yet, he was more than capable of showing gravitas whenever it was called for and cared deeply for the people in his life. Especially Rosalind 😉😉 He said 'my wife' so many times my heart almost gave away. He had and still has his own demons to deal with, making his backstory just as compelling as Rosalind's and his life incredibly complicated. That boy needs some serious help.
I loved every moment between Rosalind and Orion. Their chemistry was off the chart, the dynamic between them was *chef's kiss*. Every moment spent with them was a blessing. I couldn't get enough of them. Their banter was immediate, not even a few minutes after they met. The romance was so slow-burn that I was literally pulling at my hair reading about it. It was more than worth it though because their love for each other is so deep and so intense it made me hate the lame reality I live in. Even more so than I did before 😅😅 Men should read this book and learn from Orion. Seriously, he has a lot to teach them. The pet names were my favorite, though. Orion sure has a range of them 😍😍
Moreover, same as in TVD and OVE, there were multiple POVs other than Orion's and Rosalind's, even some secret ones too. Some of them we already knew like Celia (formerly known as Kathleen) Rosalind's triplet sister turned Communist spy, and Roma's little sister Alisa Montagova, who is now 17 years old and a pretty awesome (and hilarious) spy herself. There are also some newcomers as well. Namely Oliver and Phoebe, Orion's siblings, who are quite the delight themselves and have their own little romances that I am heavily invested in and can't wait to hear more about.
April 29, 2024
Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I initially had a lot of doubt about this book, because for me the These Violent Delights duology was perfect the way it is. Additionally, I don't like Rosalind that much either. But Chloe Gong has proved herself once again to be a strong YA fantasy author.
Foul Lady Fortune follows Rosalind, Celia, Alisa alongside a new cast of characters two years after the events of the original duology. Shanghai is on the brink of war between the Nationalists and the Communists while foreign interventions only deepened the crisis in the country. Codenamed Fortune, Rosalind offered her immortality and talent with poison to the Nationalists' service, until she found herself in a fake marriage with a fellow agent, Orion Hong.
As any other Chloe Gong's book, it took me a while to get into the story due to the exposition. However, any reader who has read the duology can remark how Gong's writing has improved. The worldbuilding and the context of the plot are explained clearly without any important info dump. Overall the prose reads a lot more fluid than her previous books.
Unfortunately, I must say that I did not care that much for these characters, some of whom I loved so deeply in the duology. Rosalind's and Orion's relationship was very bland for my taste, despite the fact that theorically I am bound to love it (like two spies in an arranged marriage, nothing gets better than this). For me there was a severe lack of chemistry despite some really good banter. The same can be said with Oliver and Celia. The only person I truly cared about was the sweet old lady in the building, I couldn't be bother for the rest.
But my biggest problem with this book was the plot itself. Chloe Gong uses a familar structure of building things up for a very long time then dropping her first plot twist around 80% of the book then the rest just after, and it worked in These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends, but I dislike it in this book. When the mystery was revealed, it's an understatement to say that I was shocked. It almost came out of nowhere and for me it's ridiculous. The one in the epilogue is not that good either, due to the consistency with the characterization throughout the book. Overall, I am disappointed with the plot of this book.
To sum up, this was not the masterpiece I thought it would be. I went through a roller coaster of reactions throughout this book. It's hard to say what I really feel about this book as a whole since I was both pleasantly surprised and absolutely flabbergasted. I am nevertheless excited for the sequel since I know shit is about to go down.
--------------------------------------
original review:
if the surprised pikachu meme was a book, this would be it. RTC
--------------------------------------
pre-review 2
the fact that i have an ARC of this book, and i can't read it on my kindle because it's a mf PDF, will be my villain's origin story
--------------------------------------
pre-review 1
unpopular opinion but why is that cover so ugly though :'(
I initially had a lot of doubt about this book, because for me the These Violent Delights duology was perfect the way it is. Additionally, I don't like Rosalind that much either. But Chloe Gong has proved herself once again to be a strong YA fantasy author.
Foul Lady Fortune follows Rosalind, Celia, Alisa alongside a new cast of characters two years after the events of the original duology. Shanghai is on the brink of war between the Nationalists and the Communists while foreign interventions only deepened the crisis in the country. Codenamed Fortune, Rosalind offered her immortality and talent with poison to the Nationalists' service, until she found herself in a fake marriage with a fellow agent, Orion Hong.
As any other Chloe Gong's book, it took me a while to get into the story due to the exposition. However, any reader who has read the duology can remark how Gong's writing has improved. The worldbuilding and the context of the plot are explained clearly without any important info dump. Overall the prose reads a lot more fluid than her previous books.
Unfortunately, I must say that I did not care that much for these characters, some of whom I loved so deeply in the duology. Rosalind's and Orion's relationship was very bland for my taste, despite the fact that theorically I am bound to love it (like two spies in an arranged marriage, nothing gets better than this). For me there was a severe lack of chemistry despite some really good banter. The same can be said with Oliver and Celia. The only person I truly cared about was the sweet old lady in the building, I couldn't be bother for the rest.
But my biggest problem with this book was the plot itself. Chloe Gong uses a familar structure of building things up for a very long time then dropping her first plot twist around 80% of the book then the rest just after, and it worked in These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends, but I dislike it in this book. When the mystery was revealed, it's an understatement to say that I was shocked. It almost came out of nowhere and for me it's ridiculous. The one in the epilogue is not that good either, due to the consistency with the characterization throughout the book. Overall, I am disappointed with the plot of this book.
To sum up, this was not the masterpiece I thought it would be. I went through a roller coaster of reactions throughout this book. It's hard to say what I really feel about this book as a whole since I was both pleasantly surprised and absolutely flabbergasted. I am nevertheless excited for the sequel since I know shit is about to go down.
--------------------------------------
original review:
if the surprised pikachu meme was a book, this would be it. RTC
--------------------------------------
pre-review 2
the fact that i have an ARC of this book, and i can't read it on my kindle because it's a mf PDF, will be my villain's origin story
--------------------------------------
pre-review 1
unpopular opinion but why is that cover so ugly though :'(
Want to read
February 24, 2021Guys. This woman is going to kill me: "a speculative historical noir surrounding the events of Imperial Japan's expansion into China in the 1930s. A familiar character is recruited as a national spy, maintaining her false identity by posing as a young married couple with someone who might be the very enemy." WTF. I NEED to read this. Until 2022 I'm going to lie in my bed and just wait.
THIS. TWEET.
THIS. TWEET.
June 21, 2022
IF I COULD RATE THIS BOOK 10 STARS I WOULD. I NEVER KNEW I NEEDED A SPY AND AN ASSASSIN IN A FAKE MARRIAGE. GOD THIS BOOK WAS A MASTERPIECE. YOU'LL NEVER READ ANYTHING BETTER. (IT'S ALSO TEN TIMES BETTER THAN TVD AND OVE. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?)
it felt like home returning to chloe gong's universe. but it was also refreshing because we have lots of new characters and our fmc is rosalind and her redemption arc !! i absolutely loved the forced proximity. orion's playful personality against rosalind's grumpiness? and when he finally makes her laugh??
"Do that again," he said.
She looked at the sink. "Wash the razor?"
"No, beloved. Your laugh."
DON'T TOUCH ME I CANT😭 i want yall to think about all the possible scenes spies have to do in tight situations, especially when they are posing as husband and wife... because IT HAD ME SCREAMING
also the pacing in flf was so much better !! AND i understood the politics better as well so i'm patting myself on the back for that hehe
(4/2) "WHERE IS MY WIFE—" I NEED THIS BOOK NEOWWWW💥💳💥💳💥💳💥
it felt like home returning to chloe gong's universe. but it was also refreshing because we have lots of new characters and our fmc is rosalind and her redemption arc !! i absolutely loved the forced proximity. orion's playful personality against rosalind's grumpiness? and when he finally makes her laugh??
"Do that again," he said.
She looked at the sink. "Wash the razor?"
"No, beloved. Your laugh."
DON'T TOUCH ME I CANT😭 i want yall to think about all the possible scenes spies have to do in tight situations, especially when they are posing as husband and wife... because IT HAD ME SCREAMING
also the pacing in flf was so much better !! AND i understood the politics better as well so i'm patting myself on the back for that hehe
(4/2) "WHERE IS MY WIFE—" I NEED THIS BOOK NEOWWWW💥💳💥💳💥💳💥
July 7, 2024
★★★★★ - 6 stars
minor spoilers.
this has left me SPEECHLESS!
after seeing everyone reading this, i decided it was my turn. and this was AMAZING. the politics, the characters, the plot, the romance plots…everything. at first, i was getting 4 star vibes. but this ended up being 6 stars!
chloe gong’s writing is so insanely good. a bit hard to get into at first, but as i went on in the book, i was captivated by her storytelling abilities. mind blowing.
this plot was SO good. possibly better than TVD. as the first book in a series usually goes, it took about 300 pages to build the conflicts. but after that, plot twists began to hit left and right, and i was shocked! i really enjoyed the politics in this book! it made it so much more interesting. i also LOVE multiple POVs.
i did not expect to love these characters so much! when i read TVD, i didn’t really like rosalind, but she became a whole new person in this book.
”Lady Fortune, you play foul.”
”Was she doomed toward this narrative for all eternity? Was everyone she loved a liar intent on betraying her?”
orion was the perfect love interest for rosalind. his cockiness counteracts so well with her grumpiness. their banter had me laughing so hard. I LOVED EVERY SCENE. the tension was immaculate.
my favorite scene was the car chase scene! hilarious.
”DAMMIT!”
“Oh my goodness, not so close to the ear,” Orion complained.
“Would you like me to blast your ear off to fix it?”
“Must you be so violent, darling? Kissing it better would be perfectly fine.”
”Hey,” she said. She didn’t know how to fix pain. “You’re okay, do you hear me? You’re not going to die. If you die, I’ll personally punch you in the chest repeatedly until you resuscitate.”
and this scene!
“You wanted daffodils at your wedding, and suddenly I wanted to be the one beside you at the altar watching you hold them. I wanted it to be real. I wanted it all to be real.”
”Rosalind,” Orion said. He had to admit—ever since he’d learned her real name, he’d been obsessed with the sound of it on his tongue.
”Your life is mine as mine is yours.”
He had gone beyond getting attached to her. She was his guiding saint, the Polaris of his heart.
Orion had thrown a crate at him. He swooped down and picked up another one, but instead of throwing it, he swung his arm and smacked it against the soldiers head, spitting: “Don’t”—he swung again—“touch”—another hard thwack—“my”—the crate broke into two pieces—“wife.”
aside from orion hong, we have my personal favorite, oliver hong. he calls celia “sweetheart”!! so hot!
”You cannot ask me not to love you by keeping me at arm’s length. I’ll love you anyway.
silas and phoebe are so cute together!! i hope they work out their issues soon.
and alisa NEEDS her own book asap.
and the final question, should i read this?
YES. do whatever you can to get your hands on this masterpiece! read it for orion and oliver hong. or rosalind. i don’t care. just read it!
playlist
▹ illicit affairs - taylor swift
▹ i did something bad - taylor swift
▹ i wanna be yours - arctic monkeys
▹ spies - coldplay
▹ how do i make you love me? - the weeknd
▹ midnight rain - taylor swift
▹ hate to be lame - lizzy mcalpine
▹ out of time - the weeknd
▹ fuck it i love you - lana del rey
▹ young and beautiful - lana del rey
▹ exile - taylor swift
▹ stay - rhianna
links
these violent delights review
our violent ends review
cheska’s review (my inspo)
minor spoilers.
this has left me SPEECHLESS!
after seeing everyone reading this, i decided it was my turn. and this was AMAZING. the politics, the characters, the plot, the romance plots…everything. at first, i was getting 4 star vibes. but this ended up being 6 stars!
chloe gong’s writing is so insanely good. a bit hard to get into at first, but as i went on in the book, i was captivated by her storytelling abilities. mind blowing.
this plot was SO good. possibly better than TVD. as the first book in a series usually goes, it took about 300 pages to build the conflicts. but after that, plot twists began to hit left and right, and i was shocked! i really enjoyed the politics in this book! it made it so much more interesting. i also LOVE multiple POVs.
i did not expect to love these characters so much! when i read TVD, i didn’t really like rosalind, but she became a whole new person in this book.
”Lady Fortune, you play foul.”
”Was she doomed toward this narrative for all eternity? Was everyone she loved a liar intent on betraying her?”
orion was the perfect love interest for rosalind. his cockiness counteracts so well with her grumpiness. their banter had me laughing so hard. I LOVED EVERY SCENE. the tension was immaculate.
my favorite scene was the car chase scene! hilarious.
”DAMMIT!”
“Oh my goodness, not so close to the ear,” Orion complained.
“Would you like me to blast your ear off to fix it?”
“Must you be so violent, darling? Kissing it better would be perfectly fine.”
”Hey,” she said. She didn’t know how to fix pain. “You’re okay, do you hear me? You’re not going to die. If you die, I’ll personally punch you in the chest repeatedly until you resuscitate.”
and this scene!
“You wanted daffodils at your wedding, and suddenly I wanted to be the one beside you at the altar watching you hold them. I wanted it to be real. I wanted it all to be real.”
”Rosalind,” Orion said. He had to admit—ever since he’d learned her real name, he’d been obsessed with the sound of it on his tongue.
”Your life is mine as mine is yours.”
He had gone beyond getting attached to her. She was his guiding saint, the Polaris of his heart.
Orion had thrown a crate at him. He swooped down and picked up another one, but instead of throwing it, he swung his arm and smacked it against the soldiers head, spitting: “Don’t”—he swung again—“touch”—another hard thwack—“my”—the crate broke into two pieces—“wife.”
aside from orion hong, we have my personal favorite, oliver hong. he calls celia “sweetheart”!! so hot!
”You cannot ask me not to love you by keeping me at arm’s length. I’ll love you anyway.
silas and phoebe are so cute together!! i hope they work out their issues soon.
and alisa NEEDS her own book asap.
and the final question, should i read this?
YES. do whatever you can to get your hands on this masterpiece! read it for orion and oliver hong. or rosalind. i don’t care. just read it!
playlist
▹ illicit affairs - taylor swift
▹ i did something bad - taylor swift
▹ i wanna be yours - arctic monkeys
▹ spies - coldplay
▹ how do i make you love me? - the weeknd
▹ midnight rain - taylor swift
▹ hate to be lame - lizzy mcalpine
▹ out of time - the weeknd
▹ fuck it i love you - lana del rey
▹ young and beautiful - lana del rey
▹ exile - taylor swift
▹ stay - rhianna
links
these violent delights review
our violent ends review
cheska’s review (my inspo)
October 30, 2022
I CANNOT BELIEVE EVERYTHING I JUST READ. chloe and her twists🙇♀️
dont want to say too much but wow ?? that was absolutely phenomenal. i knew i would love this im so happy flf didnt disappoint.
OKAY BUT MY FAV WAS DEFINITELY ALISA I LOVE THAT GIRL SO MUCH. she's so smart and logical with all that she's had to go through sdkghks im so proud of her.
alisa <333
i never liked rosalind and going into this i still didnt like her so imagine my surprise when by the end of this ive actually grown to adore in a way. nothing will ever excuse what she caused in OVE but seeing how much she regrets what happened in OVE 3 and she really is trying to atone for everything. all her pain is so sad, i just want her to be happy😭 rosalind x orion i need more !!
ALSO CELIA MY LOVE. I ADORE HER I LOVE HER she did NOT get enough scenes in this book and i expect chloe to repay all of that in book 2🔪 every scene with celia and oliver tho omg these ppl i swear they have the best lines to the ones they love
i just- 🥹🥹🥹
oliver and orion literally have THE most romantic lines i love them😭
phoebe is such a queen i love her interactions with everyone and i can just feel the power duo alisa and phoebe would be together theyd be unstoppable
now that ending:
i need book 2 asap please
_________
update [jan. 20,2022] iM SCREAMING ITS ABOUT ROSALIND AND THAT COVER IS DROP DEAD GORGEOUS OHMYGOD
LITERALLY DYING HERE CHLOE'S WORDS---> "Now she gets her time in the spotlight: to fall in love (and be loved back!), to fight for what she believes in, and I'm so proud of how she shines." THIS IS SO SWEET IM SO EXCITED🥺
________
so like at first i thought the mc was going to be a certain person but now im wondering if its another certain person SDFGDGS EITHER WAY IM SO EXCITED FOR THIS and if chloe breaks my heart again-😩
also this snippet has me dead omg
dont want to say too much but wow ?? that was absolutely phenomenal. i knew i would love this im so happy flf didnt disappoint.
"If you trust me, you can trust him, too." [...] What bizarre idea. Trust didn't come in package deals
OKAY BUT MY FAV WAS DEFINITELY ALISA I LOVE THAT GIRL SO MUCH. she's so smart and logical with all that she's had to go through sdkghks im so proud of her.
"Her brother had sacrificed so much because he'd wanted to see the city changed, and Alisa was only ever going to work toward seeing that to fruition. [...] Rosalind trusted her to protect this vial, and Alisa would protect it. The moment she fell off the grid, no one would be able to find her. That was a promise."
alisa <333
"All she had wanted was love. Somehow, she had gotten cruelty from every direction instead."
i never liked rosalind and going into this i still didnt like her so imagine my surprise when by the end of this ive actually grown to adore in a way. nothing will ever excuse what she caused in OVE but seeing how much she regrets what happened in OVE 3 and she really is trying to atone for everything. all her pain is so sad, i just want her to be happy😭 rosalind x orion i need more !!
Maybe he wanted her threatening him with a straight razor in her hand. [...] Once this assignment was finished, he wasn't ready to lose her. He didn't want to lose her now.
ALSO CELIA MY LOVE. I ADORE HER I LOVE HER she did NOT get enough scenes in this book and i expect chloe to repay all of that in book 2🔪 every scene with celia and oliver tho omg these ppl i swear they have the best lines to the ones they love
"Nation over everything. But not you, sweetheart. Never your life in exchange."
i just- 🥹🥹🥹
oliver and orion literally have THE most romantic lines i love them😭
phoebe is such a queen i love her interactions with everyone and i can just feel the power duo alisa and phoebe would be together theyd be unstoppable
now that ending:
i need book 2 asap please
_________
update [jan. 20,2022] iM SCREAMING ITS ABOUT ROSALIND AND THAT COVER IS DROP DEAD GORGEOUS OHMYGOD
LITERALLY DYING HERE CHLOE'S WORDS---> "Now she gets her time in the spotlight: to fall in love (and be loved back!), to fight for what she believes in, and I'm so proud of how she shines." THIS IS SO SWEET IM SO EXCITED🥺
________
so like at first i thought the mc was going to be a certain person but now im wondering if its another certain person SDFGDGS EITHER WAY IM SO EXCITED FOR THIS and if chloe breaks my heart again-😩
also this snippet has me dead omg
August 19, 2022
3.5 stars⭐️
Foul Lady Fortune is a reimagining of As You Like It, and takes place four years after the the events of Our Violent Ends. so, there will be some spoilers for the ending of the previous duet, hopefully not too many :) it’s best to read the original duet before diving into this one, in all honesty, since this book is rife with spoilers for it. but there won’t be any spoilers here for Foul Lady Fortune, dw!
Rosalind Lang is wracked with guilt and self-loathing when we first meet her again, hoping she can atone for her sins from the previous two books. she is working as a propaganda assassin for the Nationalist Party, known as the mysterious and infamous Lady Fortune. as part of a covert mission, she has to pretend to be married to Nationalist spy Orion Hong. the pair are total opposites and clash immediately, having to navigate this new tumultuous relationship alongside their mission work, a string of murders, and enemy attacks from all sides, set against the back-drop of the Manchurian Crisis.
i have to admit before getting into my review, i wasn’t overly hyped for this book merely because Rosalind has never been my favourite. i was still excited... just wary. i was hoping this was going to be Celia’s book instead, although she does make appearances as a side character. even before the events of Our Violent Ends, i wasn’t a big fan of Rosalind in These Violent Delights. she just rubbed me the wrong way and i struggled to root for her. i was indifferent to her for the most part.
but when Chloe Gong labelled this book as “grumpy demisexual" x "manic train-wreck bisexual" getting fake married, i was immediately sold. she knows how to market her books. so i was prepared to give Rosalind a chance, going in with an open mind. and i also really wanted to see my fave gal, Celia. the love of my life.
first of all, this definitely has the same air and tone as the TVD duet. but it felt completely different, too. i could picture the streets and the people just how i did when i read the original duet, but the new characters gave a new energy that was definitely refreshing and revitalised the story.
Chloe Gong’s writing style is still stunning— i always love her descriptions, especially of Shanghai. it’s so vivid and alive. it’s poetic but concise. i can’t fault it. although the beginning was slow, but intriguing nonetheless. it did take me a while to get into my stride reading it, especially with all of the political talk. the conversations surrounding imperialism and colonisation (with the Japanese invading Manchuria, the West ‘intervening’) are still very much present, which i really enjoyed— i love the way Chloe Gong writes this aspect, it’s so poignant that i can’t help but reread a sentence a few times over.
while the political aspect, too, is carried on into this book from the previous duet: focusing mostly on the Nationalists vs the Communists alongside the Japanese invasion of Manchuria... i can’t lie and say it doesn’t go over my head, for the most part. i never understood it before and i probably won’t in the future. so, bear that in mind if you didn’t really enjoy the political aspects before! i can appreciate Gong’s attention to detail and dedication to her research, it’s just not something i fully understand. i struggle to follow along.
Orion’s introduction was the best part about the beginning, honestly, i feel like it set up his character well and left you wanting to know more. the rest of the side characters, too, instantly captivated me... i may have been more invested in them than Rosalind. who, in turn, took me a while to warm up to. but Rosalind really grew on me— it was slow and steady, and it did have its setbacks, but i eventually fell in love with her. she’s prickly and cold, wading through her guilt and grief, but once i got past her facade, i was rooting so hard for her.
while the opposite happened with Orion. the more i discovered, the less i truly liked. he felt more like a caricature of the flimsy playboy type without any depth— and i know Gong’s intent was to show you who he is beneath the surface. and i found what was beneath the surface to be sorely lacking. he didn’t seem to take much seriously despite his insistence that he does. i really thought it would be Rosalind i would struggle with, so im shocked that it was Orion.
however, it was the side characters that stole the show for me honestly— Celia, Oliver, Phoebe, Silas and Alisa were captivating. seeing Alisa all grown up was just 🥺 you could still see threads of the girl she was through the woman she is now. Silas was adorable. Phoebe was hilarious. Oliver was swoony. Celia is still the love of my life. i loved her growth here, her confidence and self-worth were admirable and made me all soft, eurghhh.
all of the dynamics were fun too! Silas and Orion, Celia and Oliver, Phoebe and Silas, Rosalind and Alisa... my least favourite was actually Orion and Rosalind, unfortunately. i didn’t really feel... anything for them. i just don’t think they had any chemistry :/ they had occasional bursts of banter but beyond that? kinda bland.
their first interaction was funny, i enjoyed their banter. they started off strong, but they lost that intense, snarky momentum pretty quickly. it seemed to just fizzle out. it didn’t seem as deep as Gong was trying to portray it to be— they had some lovely, heartfelt moments but i couldn’t fully immerse myself in the emotional push behind these moments because their connection prior to this wasn’t set up all that well. the progression of their relationship really was an odd one for me. i was trying so hard to get behind them, but i struggled a lot.
another reviewer actually articulated my thoughts on Orion’s character perfectly, so im just gonna leave a link to their review so you can read it for yourself :)
the last 20% was the best part— it was fast-paced, intense, full of revelations. but did it make up for the rest of the book? im not so sure. the revelations in the final chapter and then the epilogue actually made my jaw drop. Chloe Gong nailed it. but... again, the build-up was so slow that i can’t give this four stars. the side characters and the plot twists made me want to bump this up but in reality this wasn’t a four star read for me.
now onto my favourite part of the book... Oliver and Celia🦋
their scene at the 28% mark made me want to curl up into a ball and sob, fr. i love her sm, any bitch who hurts her will have to face me and Oliver🤺🤺🤺
this is me and Benmar all over again, tbh. the side couple supremacy is stronggggg in Chloe Gong’s books. (also the Benmar crumbs??????👀👀👀 just curled up in a ball, rn, don’t mind me). seriously, every time it’s the side characters who captivate me the most. i like how she doesn’t bombard you with too many characters either. just the right number that it doesn’t become too overwhelming.
overall, i liked this and im still hopeful for the next book! it just didn’t blow me away, unfortunately. i think the relationship development let this one down, it was a bit too cliche and relied too heavily on tropes to do the work instead of the writing fleshing the relationship out.
thank you so much to NetGalley, and Hodder & Stoughton for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
******spoilers for Our Violent Ends******
me every time Chloe Gong had the gall, the audacity, the gumption to mention Roma and Juliette:
Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps— this was a game that haunted Rosalind late into her eternal nights, a useless exercise of cataloguing everything she’d done wrong to end up where she was today.
Foul Lady Fortune is a reimagining of As You Like It, and takes place four years after the the events of Our Violent Ends. so, there will be some spoilers for the ending of the previous duet, hopefully not too many :) it’s best to read the original duet before diving into this one, in all honesty, since this book is rife with spoilers for it. but there won’t be any spoilers here for Foul Lady Fortune, dw!
Rosalind Lang is wracked with guilt and self-loathing when we first meet her again, hoping she can atone for her sins from the previous two books. she is working as a propaganda assassin for the Nationalist Party, known as the mysterious and infamous Lady Fortune. as part of a covert mission, she has to pretend to be married to Nationalist spy Orion Hong. the pair are total opposites and clash immediately, having to navigate this new tumultuous relationship alongside their mission work, a string of murders, and enemy attacks from all sides, set against the back-drop of the Manchurian Crisis.
Rosalind had broken the city; she wouldn’t be happy until she fixed it.
i have to admit before getting into my review, i wasn’t overly hyped for this book merely because Rosalind has never been my favourite. i was still excited... just wary. i was hoping this was going to be Celia’s book instead, although she does make appearances as a side character. even before the events of Our Violent Ends, i wasn’t a big fan of Rosalind in These Violent Delights. she just rubbed me the wrong way and i struggled to root for her. i was indifferent to her for the most part.
but when Chloe Gong labelled this book as “grumpy demisexual" x "manic train-wreck bisexual" getting fake married, i was immediately sold. she knows how to market her books. so i was prepared to give Rosalind a chance, going in with an open mind. and i also really wanted to see my fave gal, Celia. the love of my life.
Each time Rosalind inspected her own fingers, it felt like there was something slick and vicious coasted all the way up to her wrists. It seemed impossible that others could not sense it, that the shoulders she brushed while pushing through a crowd didn’t automatically flinch away because they felt her transferring a metallic stench over to them.
first of all, this definitely has the same air and tone as the TVD duet. but it felt completely different, too. i could picture the streets and the people just how i did when i read the original duet, but the new characters gave a new energy that was definitely refreshing and revitalised the story.
Chloe Gong’s writing style is still stunning— i always love her descriptions, especially of Shanghai. it’s so vivid and alive. it’s poetic but concise. i can’t fault it. although the beginning was slow, but intriguing nonetheless. it did take me a while to get into my stride reading it, especially with all of the political talk. the conversations surrounding imperialism and colonisation (with the Japanese invading Manchuria, the West ‘intervening’) are still very much present, which i really enjoyed— i love the way Chloe Gong writes this aspect, it’s so poignant that i can’t help but reread a sentence a few times over.
while the political aspect, too, is carried on into this book from the previous duet: focusing mostly on the Nationalists vs the Communists alongside the Japanese invasion of Manchuria... i can’t lie and say it doesn’t go over my head, for the most part. i never understood it before and i probably won’t in the future. so, bear that in mind if you didn’t really enjoy the political aspects before! i can appreciate Gong’s attention to detail and dedication to her research, it’s just not something i fully understand. i struggle to follow along.
When did imperialists care about history? All they wanted was to crush its conquests to dust: all the better to sweep them nicely into shape.
Orion’s introduction was the best part about the beginning, honestly, i feel like it set up his character well and left you wanting to know more. the rest of the side characters, too, instantly captivated me... i may have been more invested in them than Rosalind. who, in turn, took me a while to warm up to. but Rosalind really grew on me— it was slow and steady, and it did have its setbacks, but i eventually fell in love with her. she’s prickly and cold, wading through her guilt and grief, but once i got past her facade, i was rooting so hard for her.
while the opposite happened with Orion. the more i discovered, the less i truly liked. he felt more like a caricature of the flimsy playboy type without any depth— and i know Gong’s intent was to show you who he is beneath the surface. and i found what was beneath the surface to be sorely lacking. he didn’t seem to take much seriously despite his insistence that he does. i really thought it would be Rosalind i would struggle with, so im shocked that it was Orion.
All she had wanted was love. Somehow, she had gotten cruelty from every direction instead.
however, it was the side characters that stole the show for me honestly— Celia, Oliver, Phoebe, Silas and Alisa were captivating. seeing Alisa all grown up was just 🥺 you could still see threads of the girl she was through the woman she is now. Silas was adorable. Phoebe was hilarious. Oliver was swoony. Celia is still the love of my life. i loved her growth here, her confidence and self-worth were admirable and made me all soft, eurghhh.
all of the dynamics were fun too! Silas and Orion, Celia and Oliver, Phoebe and Silas, Rosalind and Alisa... my least favourite was actually Orion and Rosalind, unfortunately. i didn’t really feel... anything for them. i just don’t think they had any chemistry :/ they had occasional bursts of banter but beyond that? kinda bland.
their first interaction was funny, i enjoyed their banter. they started off strong, but they lost that intense, snarky momentum pretty quickly. it seemed to just fizzle out. it didn’t seem as deep as Gong was trying to portray it to be— they had some lovely, heartfelt moments but i couldn’t fully immerse myself in the emotional push behind these moments because their connection prior to this wasn’t set up all that well. the progression of their relationship really was an odd one for me. i was trying so hard to get behind them, but i struggled a lot.
another reviewer actually articulated my thoughts on Orion’s character perfectly, so im just gonna leave a link to their review so you can read it for yourself :)
Rosalind suddenly picked up the dagger that Dao Feng had thrown at her, taking aim. She had thought it would make a mighty fine threat, that Orion might flinch when she raised her arm, but he only grinned, straightening his posture. Their eyes met. His had a wild sort of glee in them, as if he were saying, Please, go on. I dare you.
the last 20% was the best part— it was fast-paced, intense, full of revelations. but did it make up for the rest of the book? im not so sure. the revelations in the final chapter and then the epilogue actually made my jaw drop. Chloe Gong nailed it. but... again, the build-up was so slow that i can’t give this four stars. the side characters and the plot twists made me want to bump this up but in reality this wasn’t a four star read for me.
”What is family for if not to love us and then break our hearts?”
now onto my favourite part of the book... Oliver and Celia🦋
their scene at the 28% mark made me want to curl up into a ball and sob, fr. i love her sm, any bitch who hurts her will have to face me and Oliver🤺🤺🤺
He knew why she wore it, that it covered her throat and prevented hateful strangers from trying to tell her whether or not she could be a woman. She was a woman regardless; it was only unfortunate that others in this world had certain ideas about what she needed to look like.
this is me and Benmar all over again, tbh. the side couple supremacy is stronggggg in Chloe Gong’s books. (also the Benmar crumbs??????👀👀👀 just curled up in a ball, rn, don’t mind me). seriously, every time it’s the side characters who captivate me the most. i like how she doesn’t bombard you with too many characters either. just the right number that it doesn’t become too overwhelming.
”You can’t ask me not to love you by keeping me at arm’s length. I’ll love you anyway.”
overall, i liked this and im still hopeful for the next book! it just didn’t blow me away, unfortunately. i think the relationship development let this one down, it was a bit too cliche and relied too heavily on tropes to do the work instead of the writing fleshing the relationship out.
thank you so much to NetGalley, and Hodder & Stoughton for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
******spoilers for Our Violent Ends******
me every time Chloe Gong had the gall, the audacity, the gumption to mention Roma and Juliette:
March 3, 2024
3.5/3.75 ??
being strict with my ratings is actually taking a toll on my metal health 😭 you see, I had to force myself for the first 40% of the book- like FORCE - and it was so painful - because I just wanted to pick another book and it took so long to finally feel invested INVESTED but I got there and I was hooked. 🤭💗 dont get misleaded by the rating (because I only see 4/5 stars for this series) - I swear I loved this book loads - I really did - but the way I had to force myself to the point where I got headaches made it so hard to forget abt it when I started lovin it 🤧 The plot was undeniably interesting but I was never the political girlie and I'd be lying if I said I understood it all. Cause I didn't - and I'm so sorry but half of it went over my head -maybe its because I didn't read the duology these violent delights - but that was a me problem I know - I prolly should've done my research. 😭✋🏼However that doesn't mean I didn't love the plot twists, because I did - it was great so beautifully executed. every romantic relationship, every character, every word,
P E R F E C T I O N. 💌
𖹭 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 (𝐦𝐢𝐝-𝐣𝐮𝐧𝐞) 𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 𖹭
being strict with my ratings is actually taking a toll on my metal health 😭 you see, I had to force myself for the first 40% of the book- like FORCE - and it was so painful - because I just wanted to pick another book and it took so long to finally feel invested INVESTED but I got there and I was hooked. 🤭💗 dont get misleaded by the rating (because I only see 4/5 stars for this series) - I swear I loved this book loads - I really did - but the way I had to force myself to the point where I got headaches made it so hard to forget abt it when I started lovin it 🤧 The plot was undeniably interesting but I was never the political girlie and I'd be lying if I said I understood it all. Cause I didn't - and I'm so sorry but half of it went over my head -maybe its because I didn't read the duology these violent delights - but that was a me problem I know - I prolly should've done my research. 😭✋🏼However that doesn't mean I didn't love the plot twists, because I did - it was great so beautifully executed. every romantic relationship, every character, every word,
P E R F E C T I O N. 💌
𖹭 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 (𝐦𝐢𝐝-𝐣𝐮𝐧𝐞) 𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 𖹭
September 23, 2023
CHLOE GONG YOU CANT JUST END A BOOK LIKE THAT I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO ORION
March 4, 2023
“Nation over everything. But not you, sweetheart. Never your life in exchange.”
When I tell you I DIED, resurrected myself, and then died again when I read this line, I am not lying, I love Oliver so much.
It has come to my attention that I'm just really dumb, because beforehand I did in fact get spoiled for the ending, but when I was reading the ending, I was so confused, because who's those initials at the end? Turns out I wasn't thinking clearly.
The Plot
It took me quite a bit to read this book. Let's just say, I started it in January, but then put it on pause because I was hardly reading anything, and then picked it back up on February 23rd, apparently, and now here I am! I wish I'd picked this up sooner because it was so good!
I have to admit, as I read on, I began to forget who some people were, where some locations are, so I was slightly confused throughout the book, but that's a me problem. I'm sure if I went back or remembered correctly I would've been good, but it's all fine right now.
The plot never felt really slow, like there was always stuff going on and it sucked me in and I brought the book with me everywhere so I could read it, which is the best feeling a book can give you, when you get completely immersed into the world and story.
The last few chapters were going insane- like I was hanging off the edge of my seat because so much was being revealed, and I predicted absolutely NONE OF IT (but are we even surprised I didn't guess anything)
Not to mention the TROPES in this because they are top tier
» the fake marriage
» forced proximity
» "who did this to you"
» "don't touch my wife"
ALL PERFECTION 🙇♀️
“She only wanted to be a girl who was deserving of the world.”
I almost started crying at this line, I'm not kidding. I love Rosalind.
The Characters
The fact that I actually adored all of these characters is very surprising, because there are usually characters I hate but not here.
Rosalind has certainly grown since These Violent Delights. I actually didn't really like her in that duology, I couldn't tell you why since it's been a while, but I'm just really glad I liked her in this. She's cold, sarcastic, but she just wants her family and people she loves to be safe, and she cares about her country and city so much and will do everything she can to keep it safe. Also, I just love assassin characters 🗡️
Orion is now being admitted into my hall of book boyfriends. He's one of those characters that I absolutely love in books: sarcastic, flirty, yet loving and caring on the inside. not to mention the "who did this to you" thing he did because I was a mess when he said that even though I knew it was going to happen 😍🥰
Next is Oliver, who is hands down my favorite character in this book. He didn't get enough page time, so I really hope he gets more in the next book. He's another one of those characters I love in books except it's not the flirty, sarcastic kind: it's the cold, cares about nothing except for her, kind. (exactly just like the first line I wrote in this review) The way he cares about Celia but doesn't really show it is my favorite kind of romance 🥹
And then we have Celia herself, who I also wish got more page time because I love her character so much! I also liked her in These Violent Delights too, so I'm just glad that she was okay and well in this book and I cannot wait to see what she does in the next book.
I also really loved these side characters. Silas was so adorable with his shyness around Phoebe and Phoebe was very surprising and fun throughout this book, and I loved seeing Alisa again.
Also, might I add, that moment when Alisa said Benedikt and Marshall were married, I literally died. I love those two so much 😭❤️
“You can't ask me not to love you by keeping me at arm's length. I'll love you anyway.”
I swear, Oliver has the best lines
The Romance
And now we get to the good stuff.
Orion and Rosalind's relationship was so fun and adorable to watch. They went from like a one-sided enemies to lovers thing because Rosalind definitely hated him at first but I doubt that Orion hated her at all, and then to a friendship, and then to the lovers, which I NEED MORE OF 😭😭
The who did this to you scene was absolute perfection, when Orion said he wanted to see her smile, perfection perfection perfection. The first kiss? The first actual kiss? You guessed it, perfection 🤌
And then we've got Celia and Oliver who I'm assuming you know how I feel about these two.
I. Love. Them. SO MUCH. Dare I say, even more than Orion and Rosalind. The slowburn was immaculate, those two Oliver quotes I put in here, those scene were some of my favorites. I need more of them in the next book and I NEED them to kiss, I don't ask for much 😭 Though, I don't know how Celia managed to withstand his charms, because the second he calls me sweetheart (let's just take a moment of appreciation for that nickname), I'd be absolutely gone 🧎♀️🧎♀️
But I SWEAR. IF ONE OF THEM DIES, I GO WITH THEM. I'M NOT ACCEPTING ANOTHER OUR VIOLENT ENDS.
“Don’t”—he swung again—“touch”—another hard thwack—“my”—the crate broke into two pieces—“wife.”
Orion I loooove youuuu 🫶🫶
So I have finally read this book after months of putting it off and I'm so glad I read it! Now I have to get my hands on Last Violent Call when I'm not on a book-buying ban and not broke because I NEED BenMarsh.
4.5 stars
“I’ve seen what love does. It’s powerful. It’s selfish. It will draw us away from the battlefield, and we can’t allow that.”
<><><><><><><>
EXCUSE ME? I SWEAR I GOT SPOILED FOR THE ENDING BUT WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL. SO THEN WHY DID I GET SPOILED ABOUT A CERTAIN THING AND IT'S NOT EVEN TRUE? I'M SO CONFUSED
but whatever, this was SO GOOD
rtc
<><><><><><><>
Edit #2: So..I think I got spoiled for the ending. Not directly, but I'm making a guess based on evidence I know. But I mean, I KNEW IT. (maybe...if I'm right)
Edit: Just read an excerpt from this and wow- and the mere mention of Juliette and Roma made me sad. BRING THEM BACK PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEE
I suppose it's too much to wish that somehow Roma and Juliette are in this
When I tell you I DIED, resurrected myself, and then died again when I read this line, I am not lying, I love Oliver so much.
It has come to my attention that I'm just really dumb, because beforehand I did in fact get spoiled for the ending, but when I was reading the ending, I was so confused, because who's those initials at the end? Turns out I wasn't thinking clearly.
The Plot
It took me quite a bit to read this book. Let's just say, I started it in January, but then put it on pause because I was hardly reading anything, and then picked it back up on February 23rd, apparently, and now here I am! I wish I'd picked this up sooner because it was so good!
I have to admit, as I read on, I began to forget who some people were, where some locations are, so I was slightly confused throughout the book, but that's a me problem. I'm sure if I went back or remembered correctly I would've been good, but it's all fine right now.
The plot never felt really slow, like there was always stuff going on and it sucked me in and I brought the book with me everywhere so I could read it, which is the best feeling a book can give you, when you get completely immersed into the world and story.
The last few chapters were going insane- like I was hanging off the edge of my seat because so much was being revealed, and I predicted absolutely NONE OF IT (but are we even surprised I didn't guess anything)
Not to mention the TROPES in this because they are top tier
» the fake marriage
» forced proximity
» "who did this to you"
» "don't touch my wife"
ALL PERFECTION 🙇♀️
“She only wanted to be a girl who was deserving of the world.”
I almost started crying at this line, I'm not kidding. I love Rosalind.
The Characters
The fact that I actually adored all of these characters is very surprising, because there are usually characters I hate but not here.
Rosalind has certainly grown since These Violent Delights. I actually didn't really like her in that duology, I couldn't tell you why since it's been a while, but I'm just really glad I liked her in this. She's cold, sarcastic, but she just wants her family and people she loves to be safe, and she cares about her country and city so much and will do everything she can to keep it safe. Also, I just love assassin characters 🗡️
Orion is now being admitted into my hall of book boyfriends. He's one of those characters that I absolutely love in books: sarcastic, flirty, yet loving and caring on the inside. not to mention the "who did this to you" thing he did because I was a mess when he said that even though I knew it was going to happen 😍🥰
Next is Oliver, who is hands down my favorite character in this book. He didn't get enough page time, so I really hope he gets more in the next book. He's another one of those characters I love in books except it's not the flirty, sarcastic kind: it's the cold, cares about nothing except for her, kind. (exactly just like the first line I wrote in this review) The way he cares about Celia but doesn't really show it is my favorite kind of romance 🥹
And then we have Celia herself, who I also wish got more page time because I love her character so much! I also liked her in These Violent Delights too, so I'm just glad that she was okay and well in this book and I cannot wait to see what she does in the next book.
I also really loved these side characters. Silas was so adorable with his shyness around Phoebe and Phoebe was very surprising and fun throughout this book, and I loved seeing Alisa again.
Also, might I add, that moment when Alisa said Benedikt and Marshall were married, I literally died. I love those two so much 😭❤️
“You can't ask me not to love you by keeping me at arm's length. I'll love you anyway.”
I swear, Oliver has the best lines
The Romance
And now we get to the good stuff.
Orion and Rosalind's relationship was so fun and adorable to watch. They went from like a one-sided enemies to lovers thing because Rosalind definitely hated him at first but I doubt that Orion hated her at all, and then to a friendship, and then to the lovers, which I NEED MORE OF 😭😭
The who did this to you scene was absolute perfection, when Orion said he wanted to see her smile, perfection perfection perfection. The first kiss? The first actual kiss? You guessed it, perfection 🤌
And then we've got Celia and Oliver who I'm assuming you know how I feel about these two.
I. Love. Them. SO MUCH. Dare I say, even more than Orion and Rosalind. The slowburn was immaculate, those two Oliver quotes I put in here, those scene were some of my favorites. I need more of them in the next book and I NEED them to kiss, I don't ask for much 😭 Though, I don't know how Celia managed to withstand his charms, because the second he calls me sweetheart (let's just take a moment of appreciation for that nickname), I'd be absolutely gone 🧎♀️🧎♀️
But I SWEAR. IF ONE OF THEM DIES, I GO WITH THEM. I'M NOT ACCEPTING ANOTHER OUR VIOLENT ENDS.
“Don’t”—he swung again—“touch”—another hard thwack—“my”—the crate broke into two pieces—“wife.”
Orion I loooove youuuu 🫶🫶
So I have finally read this book after months of putting it off and I'm so glad I read it! Now I have to get my hands on Last Violent Call when I'm not on a book-buying ban and not broke because I NEED BenMarsh.
4.5 stars
“I’ve seen what love does. It’s powerful. It’s selfish. It will draw us away from the battlefield, and we can’t allow that.”
<><><><><><><>
EXCUSE ME? I SWEAR I GOT SPOILED FOR THE ENDING BUT WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL. SO THEN WHY DID I GET SPOILED ABOUT A CERTAIN THING AND IT'S NOT EVEN TRUE? I'M SO CONFUSED
but whatever, this was SO GOOD
rtc
<><><><><><><>
Edit #2: So..I think I got spoiled for the ending. Not directly, but I'm making a guess based on evidence I know. But I mean, I KNEW IT. (maybe...if I'm right)
Edit: Just read an excerpt from this and wow- and the mere mention of Juliette and Roma made me sad. BRING THEM BACK PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEE
I suppose it's too much to wish that somehow Roma and Juliette are in this
January 1, 2024
"All she wanted was love. Somehow, she had gotten cruelty from every direction instead."
Chloe Gong has this way of writing that makes you think, hmm, this book is pretty mediocre... until that ONE MOMENT where your soul seems to leave your body. This book had that and more.
Rosalind and Orion are mirrors of each other. Broken by their history, cast as an oldest sibling despite not truly being one. They've held together a broken image for their entire life. They wonder if they can ever break free of everything that's been left to them. We see such a small bit of them apart, and yet somehow I knew exactly who they were the moment they became a team. A unit, or as they like to say "Your life is mine as mine is yours."
Their pasts only make them braver, their trauma only makes them stronger. They were lost, and found light inside of each other. The banter, the fun, the dramatics, the energy, the chemistry... it was all there. The kindness, respect, passion, endearments, and love... all there. The way they built such a solid ground to stand on together, I know they can get through whatever comes next in book two. I can't believe I have to wait for it.
I have to say that Orion set the standards so high for the "don't touch my wife" trope. He set the standards even higher for the joking use of an endearment changing from funny to real in the blink of an eye. Every time he said "beloved" I waited for the moment it became real. I was not disappointed when it did.
Just know "you were my first hope that there might be something else" will be the only thing on my mind for the next few months (years?) There was even a moment when he used "darling" instead of beloved so as not to taint the word. I saw it. I noted it. I'll never get over it.
Knowing that Orion and Ros know their histories, know what the lack of love feels like, and found each other because of it brings me so much peace. The quote above suggests to me that all she wanted was Orion, who would never show her cruelty.
She's his light when he's lost, "his guiding saint, the Polaris of his heart." No matter what the last few pages suggest.. I know that they're stronger than the forces against them.
I can't wait to be right.
Chloe Gong has this way of writing that makes you think, hmm, this book is pretty mediocre... until that ONE MOMENT where your soul seems to leave your body. This book had that and more.
Rosalind and Orion are mirrors of each other. Broken by their history, cast as an oldest sibling despite not truly being one. They've held together a broken image for their entire life. They wonder if they can ever break free of everything that's been left to them. We see such a small bit of them apart, and yet somehow I knew exactly who they were the moment they became a team. A unit, or as they like to say "Your life is mine as mine is yours."
Their pasts only make them braver, their trauma only makes them stronger. They were lost, and found light inside of each other. The banter, the fun, the dramatics, the energy, the chemistry... it was all there. The kindness, respect, passion, endearments, and love... all there. The way they built such a solid ground to stand on together, I know they can get through whatever comes next in book two. I can't believe I have to wait for it.
I have to say that Orion set the standards so high for the "don't touch my wife" trope. He set the standards even higher for the joking use of an endearment changing from funny to real in the blink of an eye. Every time he said "beloved" I waited for the moment it became real. I was not disappointed when it did.
Just know "you were my first hope that there might be something else" will be the only thing on my mind for the next few months (years?) There was even a moment when he used "darling" instead of beloved so as not to taint the word. I saw it. I noted it. I'll never get over it.
Knowing that Orion and Ros know their histories, know what the lack of love feels like, and found each other because of it brings me so much peace. The quote above suggests to me that all she wanted was Orion, who would never show her cruelty.
She's his light when he's lost, "his guiding saint, the Polaris of his heart." No matter what the last few pages suggest.. I know that they're stronger than the forces against them.
I can't wait to be right.
Shelved as 'on-pause'
April 25, 2024
dnf 10%
ik im being lazy but I don't feel like committing to this its just taking to long for me plus if I keep claiming im going to read this ik im just gonna stare more at the cover 🤭literally jinxed myself with this one i forgot to knock on wood 🙉
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
🌸🎀pre-review🎀🌸
so guess what?? im going to try this one out eventho literally ive seen so many mixed reviews about this lowkey kinda scaredin the back of mind ik im probably not going to finish this but the cover is PINK and its so CUUTE ig that means i should read it right?? me and my bad habit of picking books based off covers 🫣 🌸🌺🎀💗🩷
ik im being lazy but I don't feel like committing to this its just taking to long for me plus if I keep claiming im going to read this ik im just gonna stare more at the cover 🤭
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
🌸🎀pre-review🎀🌸
so guess what?? im going to try this one out eventho literally ive seen so many mixed reviews about this lowkey kinda scared
Want to read
January 21, 2022am i practically begging for pain if i anticipate this? yes. will i regret it? hopefully not.
(crossing my fingers that this 'familiar character' will be kathleen) edit - ROSALIND IT IS
(crossing my fingers that this 'familiar character' will be kathleen) edit - ROSALIND IT IS
March 28, 2024
꒰ 𖦹 ⊹˚. pre-read.
⤿ 08 / 03 / 2024.
seeing a lot of this book on my tl so this is obviously a sign for me to pick it up... manifesting a 5 star because i dnf'd these violent delights rip
꒰ 📂 ⸝⸝ finished.
⤿ 10 / 03 / 2024.
live iso reaction after this book:
tell me why i'm getting divine rivals war flashbacks from the trope. i understand that this conflict must happen for there to be a second book (do i really, though), but will that stop me from [unintelligible and incomprehensible screaming, car crash in the background, screaming continues]? no.
݁ ݁⠀⟢ ⠀᭝ ݁ plot. set in the late 1930s, shanghai is a city teetering on the brink of civil war, a city divided into chunks like a pie. everyone wants a slice- the japanese, western powers, the communists, and the nationalists, which is where our girl rosalind's allegiances lie. to take on a mission, rosalind finds herself playing wife to fellow nationalist agent orion hong. they're more alike than they think: she has secrets that she'll take to the grave. he has things of his own that he isn't keen on sharing. what better duo to send on a mission than an immortal assassin and a smooth-talking spy?
with each page, new mysteries are unravelled and answers are dangled just out of reach, and at some points i almost feel like i was lead to think one way when the real answer was in the opposite direction- all of which made the plot twists at the end hit like a literal truck. i really do enjoy the way this was all set up. you're made to think one thing and eliminate suspects very carefully written to seem blameless and innocent when in reality it'll come to bite you in the back.
݁ ݁⠀⟢ ⠀᭝ ݁ rosalind lang. my favorite character. where do i start? a girl with a body that never dies, and a face that never ages- nigh-invulnerable assassin she might be, but there's always been something missing since her sister left and the scarlet gang fell. something tells rosalind that something's coming to an end. not the world, but something important- and there will never be anything quite like it ever again. shanghai is going to change, and not for the better.
rosalind at her core is the quintessential older sister: utterly capable and more competent than any other nationalist agent, but unused to being vulnerable or being seen. her training as an assassin further cements this thinking pattern of hers: she works alone, and she doesn't need anyone else. at her best, rosalind is the most effective weapon the nationalists have- codename fortune. poison is her weapon of choice because it's the only thing left that reminds her she's still human. at her worst, she is a prickly, vengeful woman bent on taking down enemies as a way to make herself good for something. sometimes it's even a distraction. she doesn't like dwelling on the past, but it's difficult when she sees it every time she looks into the mirror.
⊹ ݁⠀✦ ╮ orion hong. orion is both the perfect opposite of rosalind and somehow more similar to her than you'd think. he's a smooth talker, playful and not nearly as tight-laced as rosalind. but when rosalind digs deeper, there are similarities that she can't quite place. orion isn't dwelling in the past, he sometimes still is in the past- he's overprotective of his sister because he doesn't want to accept that their fragmented family means she'll eventually have to grow up on her own, and he still, on some subconscious level, misses his parents. in the same way that rosalind can't quite let go of celia, orion doesn't want to let go of phoebe at all.
⊹ ݁⠀✦ ╮ rosaorion. together, rosalind and orion are an unforgettable pair. it's very grumpy x sunshine if i really think about it. neither of them are used to being seen for who they are. both of them are used to being the elder sibling. together, it's a delight to see them slowly open up in spite of their very obvious contrasting personalities. chloe gong has a knack for writing the best romance lines (female audience, cough cough) and she doesn't oversaturate her writing with said lines- she knows exactly when to put the hardest hitting words to pack a punch.
⊹ ݁⠀✦ ╮ political themes. the one minor gripe i have with this book is how the communists and nationalists are written. i feel particularly strongly about this because i was born and raised in hong kong, and i've learnt a lot about the period leading up to ww2, after ww2, and the chinese civil war & struggle of power. but for whatever reason, the struggle between these two sides in the book isn't as realistic as i would've expected it to be for a book supposedly set within that time period. it's like writing a novel about the american civil war and then downplaying the violence of it all.
the conflict between the nationalists and communists in this time period was bloody, violent, and aggressive, but i saw almost none of that in the book. the central conflict of the story is about how these two sides are trying to defeat one another but the motivations and differences in ideals between the two parties (which lead to war) is never explored or even mentioned. hence, the stakes of the power struggle also felt really low to me as i read it. this was a slight disappointment to me.
✦ ╮ 4.5☆. overall, though, this was a really good readi'm going to jump out a window if i have to suffer through one more trope. thank to mitra for making me read this <3
⤿ 08 / 03 / 2024.
seeing a lot of this book on my tl so this is obviously a sign for me to pick it up... manifesting a 5 star because i dnf'd these violent delights rip
꒰ 📂 ⸝⸝ finished.
⤿ 10 / 03 / 2024.
live iso reaction after this book:
tell me why i'm getting divine rivals war flashbacks from the trope. i understand that this conflict must happen for there to be a second book (do i really, though), but will that stop me from [unintelligible and incomprehensible screaming, car crash in the background, screaming continues]? ݁ ݁⠀⟢ ⠀᭝ ݁ plot. set in the late 1930s, shanghai is a city teetering on the brink of civil war, a city divided into chunks like a pie. everyone wants a slice- the japanese, western powers, the communists, and the nationalists, which is where our girl rosalind's allegiances lie. to take on a mission, rosalind finds herself playing wife to fellow nationalist agent orion hong. they're more alike than they think: she has secrets that she'll take to the grave. he has things of his own that he isn't keen on sharing. what better duo to send on a mission than an immortal assassin and a smooth-talking spy?
with each page, new mysteries are unravelled and answers are dangled just out of reach, and at some points i almost feel like i was lead to think one way when the real answer was in the opposite direction- all of which made the plot twists at the end hit like a literal truck. i really do enjoy the way this was all set up. you're made to think one thing and eliminate suspects very carefully written to seem blameless and innocent when in reality it'll come to bite you in the back.
݁ ݁⠀⟢ ⠀᭝ ݁ rosalind lang. my favorite character. where do i start? a girl with a body that never dies, and a face that never ages- nigh-invulnerable assassin she might be, but there's always been something missing since her sister left and the scarlet gang fell. something tells rosalind that something's coming to an end. not the world, but something important- and there will never be anything quite like it ever again. shanghai is going to change, and not for the better.
rosalind at her core is the quintessential older sister: utterly capable and more competent than any other nationalist agent, but unused to being vulnerable or being seen. her training as an assassin further cements this thinking pattern of hers: she works alone, and she doesn't need anyone else. at her best, rosalind is the most effective weapon the nationalists have- codename fortune. poison is her weapon of choice because it's the only thing left that reminds her she's still human. at her worst, she is a prickly, vengeful woman bent on taking down enemies as a way to make herself good for something. sometimes it's even a distraction. she doesn't like dwelling on the past, but it's difficult when she sees it every time she looks into the mirror.
"i have spent every night unsleeping," rosalind countered. "spend long enough gluing together a shattered glass vase, and you will have a vase again."
⊹ ݁⠀✦ ╮ orion hong. orion is both the perfect opposite of rosalind and somehow more similar to her than you'd think. he's a smooth talker, playful and not nearly as tight-laced as rosalind. but when rosalind digs deeper, there are similarities that she can't quite place. orion isn't dwelling in the past, he sometimes still is in the past- he's overprotective of his sister because he doesn't want to accept that their fragmented family means she'll eventually have to grow up on her own, and he still, on some subconscious level, misses his parents. in the same way that rosalind can't quite let go of celia, orion doesn't want to let go of phoebe at all.
orion couldn't stop looking at her. artists would scramble to paint a face like that onto war posters. render her expression in vivid enough lines, and the sight alone could lead the world into battle.
"but shanghai is not a glass vase," he said gently. "it is a city."
⊹ ݁⠀✦ ╮ rosaorion. together, rosalind and orion are an unforgettable pair. it's very grumpy x sunshine if i really think about it. neither of them are used to being seen for who they are. both of them are used to being the elder sibling. together, it's a delight to see them slowly open up in spite of their very obvious contrasting personalities. chloe gong has a knack for writing the best romance lines (female audience, cough cough) and she doesn't oversaturate her writing with said lines- she knows exactly when to put the hardest hitting words to pack a punch.
"attached to high tide?" she echoed, her voice teasing. "have you grown attached to me, hong liwen?"
"yes," his reply came easily. it didn't sound like he was teasing her in return. "i have."
⊹ ݁⠀✦ ╮ political themes. the one minor gripe i have with this book is how the communists and nationalists are written. i feel particularly strongly about this because i was born and raised in hong kong, and i've learnt a lot about the period leading up to ww2, after ww2, and the chinese civil war & struggle of power. but for whatever reason, the struggle between these two sides in the book isn't as realistic as i would've expected it to be for a book supposedly set within that time period. it's like writing a novel about the american civil war and then downplaying the violence of it all.
the conflict between the nationalists and communists in this time period was bloody, violent, and aggressive, but i saw almost none of that in the book. the central conflict of the story is about how these two sides are trying to defeat one another but the motivations and differences in ideals between the two parties (which lead to war) is never explored or even mentioned. hence, the stakes of the power struggle also felt really low to me as i read it. this was a slight disappointment to me.
✦ ╮ 4.5☆. overall, though, this was a really good read
Shelved as 'needs-review'
June 12, 2022I got approved on Netgalley
aaaaAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH
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No idea what this is going to be about, too obsessed with Chloe Gong to care.
aaaaAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH
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No idea what this is going to be about, too obsessed with Chloe Gong to care.
April 10, 2024
When it hits just as good the second time! 😍 Chloe Gong has become an auto-buy author!
_________________
4.5 Poisonous Stars!!!
My semi-brief-but-not-really summary:
Introductions:
Nationalists:
Meet Rosalind Lang (alias Janie Mead/code name: Fortune)! After an almost-death experience with an experiment that rescued her, she now has the ability to heal. The only downsides is not being able to sleep or age. This makes her an asset as an assassin for the nationalists with a knack for poisoning her enemies.
Meet Orion Hong (alias Mu Liwen)! Orion is an agent to the nationalists with an affinity for any weapon at his disposal but his charm is the most deadly.
Meet Silas Wu (codename: Shepherd)! A loveable simp who is both agent and spy for the nationalists.
Communists:
Meet Alisa Montagova (aka Liza or Yelizaveta Romanovma Ivanova)! She is skilled at staying under the radar and one of the only people to know Rosalind’s secrets.
Meet Celia Lang! She is an intelligence agent on the other side of the war and sister to none other than Rosalind Lang with a troubled family past.
Meet Oliver Hong! To his family he is a traitor as he is also on the other side of the war. With an allegiance to being an intelligence agent for his country, he only cares for one thing… or does he?
Family:
Lastly, meet Phoebe Hong! Sister to both Orion and Oliver; she is sneaky, always seeking adventure, and the go to girl for Orion when in a crisis. There is more to her than meets the eye.
Finally an actual summary as promised:
After multiple murders in the city of Shanghai with the Japanese as the number one suspect, Janie and Orion are placed under assignment as a married couple to find the criminals and cause. Reluctantly both spy and assassin are part of the codename High Tide, and even with their own secrets (Rosalind with more than she can keep up with), they must work together to uncover the mystery. Parallel to them and also working with a mission of their own to uncover truths themselves, Celia and Oliver work to reveal suspicions with their siblings on the other side.
What is happening in Shanghi? Who can they trust? Why are clues and files discovered disappearing or not making sense? Who is really the culprit to these deaths?
Thoughts:
Let me be the first to say I know I haven't read the These Violent Delights duology and shame on me! After finishing Foul Lady Fortune, I absolutely will be!
Tropes I caught: Marriage of convenience, I-only-care-about-one-thing-except-if-it’s-at-the-cost-of-you-then-f*ck-that-one-thing, who-did-this-to-you *screams*, bad-ass-women-doing-bad-ass-things, don’t-lay-a-hand-on-my-wife!, we-save-each-other, etc.
I am usually very good at guessing plot twists and with as many as there were here, I felt dumb for not predicting a single one. That rarely happens, so I was thrilled! Also the semi-cliff-hanger has me weeping because I need more now!!
I loved each one of these characters! Rosalind is an amazing protagonist! I don’t know if I am team Orion or team Oliver more. Orion sets the standard and his flirty playboy ways cease (not the flirtiness though) and that has me. On the other hand, Oliver is unpredictable and guarded and that is hot as well! What is a girl to do??
DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON ‘BELOVED’ AND ‘SWEETHEART’! I SWOON! I MELT! GAH!
This book is everything I want and never knew I needed in a historical fantasy! Go read it if you haven’t! I’m about to sink my bank account because I want to buy everyone a copy of this!
Only marked down .5 stars because some things were confused and not explained properly which had me going back to confirm. This is a mystery though, so I also see why keeping things minimally stated makes sense.
P.S. My only ask in book two is more Celia and Oliver please and thank you!!
Would I recommend this and to who:
YES - EVERYONE READ IT!
Paperback/Hardcover/Audiobook/E-book:
Hardcover
How did I discover this:
Barnes & Noble
Pace:
Medium
Cover thoughts:
I think it’s very pretty and fitting. The hardcover has exterior red pages too!
POV:
Multi
Quotes: *names and context taken out for spoiler purposes*
“Nation over everything. But not you, sweetheart. Never your life in exchange”
“For as long as he’d known her, she didn’t seem capable of shutting down. She seemed as if she might have been born with her eyes wide open, keen and observant.”
“Do that again.” .. “What? Wash the razor?” “No, beloved, your laugh.”
“Maybe he wanted the sound of her laughing at him over traffic. Maybe he wanted her threatening him with a straight razor in her hand.”
“Dont” ... “touch” … “my” … “wife.”
“We were never real” … “We were to me” (THIS ENTIRE SCENE!)
“Attached to High Tide?” … “Have you grown attached to me-?” … “Yes.”
“There is a small flaw in your logic” … “You can't ask me not to love you by keeping me at arm's length. I'll love you anyway.”
Triggers:
Death, Violence, Murder, Blood, Gore, Body horror, Injury, War, Drug use, Medical Trauma,, Torture, Colonization, Grief, Abuse, Self-Harm, Swearing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Toxic Relationships, Sexual harassment, Classism, etc.
_________________
4.5 Poisonous Stars!!!
My semi-brief-but-not-really summary:
Introductions:
Nationalists:
Meet Rosalind Lang (alias Janie Mead/code name: Fortune)! After an almost-death experience with an experiment that rescued her, she now has the ability to heal. The only downsides is not being able to sleep or age. This makes her an asset as an assassin for the nationalists with a knack for poisoning her enemies.
Meet Orion Hong (alias Mu Liwen)! Orion is an agent to the nationalists with an affinity for any weapon at his disposal but his charm is the most deadly.
Meet Silas Wu (codename: Shepherd)! A loveable simp who is both agent and spy for the nationalists.
Communists:
Meet Alisa Montagova (aka Liza or Yelizaveta Romanovma Ivanova)! She is skilled at staying under the radar and one of the only people to know Rosalind’s secrets.
Meet Celia Lang! She is an intelligence agent on the other side of the war and sister to none other than Rosalind Lang with a troubled family past.
Meet Oliver Hong! To his family he is a traitor as he is also on the other side of the war. With an allegiance to being an intelligence agent for his country, he only cares for one thing… or does he?
Family:
Lastly, meet Phoebe Hong! Sister to both Orion and Oliver; she is sneaky, always seeking adventure, and the go to girl for Orion when in a crisis. There is more to her than meets the eye.
Finally an actual summary as promised:
After multiple murders in the city of Shanghai with the Japanese as the number one suspect, Janie and Orion are placed under assignment as a married couple to find the criminals and cause. Reluctantly both spy and assassin are part of the codename High Tide, and even with their own secrets (Rosalind with more than she can keep up with), they must work together to uncover the mystery. Parallel to them and also working with a mission of their own to uncover truths themselves, Celia and Oliver work to reveal suspicions with their siblings on the other side.
What is happening in Shanghi? Who can they trust? Why are clues and files discovered disappearing or not making sense? Who is really the culprit to these deaths?
Thoughts:
Let me be the first to say I know I haven't read the These Violent Delights duology and shame on me! After finishing Foul Lady Fortune, I absolutely will be!
Tropes I caught: Marriage of convenience, I-only-care-about-one-thing-except-if-it’s-at-the-cost-of-you-then-f*ck-that-one-thing, who-did-this-to-you *screams*, bad-ass-women-doing-bad-ass-things, don’t-lay-a-hand-on-my-wife!, we-save-each-other, etc.
I am usually very good at guessing plot twists and with as many as there were here, I felt dumb for not predicting a single one. That rarely happens, so I was thrilled! Also the semi-cliff-hanger has me weeping because I need more now!!
I loved each one of these characters! Rosalind is an amazing protagonist! I don’t know if I am team Orion or team Oliver more. Orion sets the standard and his flirty playboy ways cease (not the flirtiness though) and that has me. On the other hand, Oliver is unpredictable and guarded and that is hot as well! What is a girl to do??
DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON ‘BELOVED’ AND ‘SWEETHEART’! I SWOON! I MELT! GAH!
This book is everything I want and never knew I needed in a historical fantasy! Go read it if you haven’t! I’m about to sink my bank account because I want to buy everyone a copy of this!
Only marked down .5 stars because some things were confused and not explained properly which had me going back to confirm. This is a mystery though, so I also see why keeping things minimally stated makes sense.
P.S. My only ask in book two is more Celia and Oliver please and thank you!!
Would I recommend this and to who:
YES - EVERYONE READ IT!
Paperback/Hardcover/Audiobook/E-book:
Hardcover
How did I discover this:
Barnes & Noble
Pace:
Medium
Cover thoughts:
I think it’s very pretty and fitting. The hardcover has exterior red pages too!
POV:
Multi
Quotes: *names and context taken out for spoiler purposes*
“Nation over everything. But not you, sweetheart. Never your life in exchange”
“For as long as he’d known her, she didn’t seem capable of shutting down. She seemed as if she might have been born with her eyes wide open, keen and observant.”
“Do that again.” .. “What? Wash the razor?” “No, beloved, your laugh.”
“Maybe he wanted the sound of her laughing at him over traffic. Maybe he wanted her threatening him with a straight razor in her hand.”
“Dont” ... “touch” … “my” … “wife.”
“We were never real” … “We were to me” (THIS ENTIRE SCENE!)
“Attached to High Tide?” … “Have you grown attached to me-?” … “Yes.”
“There is a small flaw in your logic” … “You can't ask me not to love you by keeping me at arm's length. I'll love you anyway.”
Triggers:
Death, Violence, Murder, Blood, Gore, Body horror, Injury, War, Drug use, Medical Trauma,, Torture, Colonization, Grief, Abuse, Self-Harm, Swearing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Toxic Relationships, Sexual harassment, Classism, etc.
January 13, 2024
orion hong the loml 3
March 28, 2023
psa: if youre going to read this book, get in in paperback. because i read it on kindle and could not see how little pages were left so i WAS NOT PREPARED.
THAT'S IT???! THAT'S HOW IT ENDS? none of my questions are answered, it ended right in the middle of the book. how is that allowed. i didn't pay for a half a book people. give me what a paid for: a BEGINNING, MIDDLE and an actual END. like HELLO did you run out of time and just submit the book before it was finished???
also orion. orion orion orion. i love me some orion. he was giving Kenji from shatter me.
so far from the typical serious, brooding, morally grey character but somehow just as hot even though he didn't take anything seriously, was a playboy, was distracted and flirtatious and made jokes at inappropriate times. i loved him i loved him i loved him.
and the other two couples of which i will not name bc i am afraid if i ever spoil everyone will come after me with pitchforks, i loved them soo much. i want to hug them. just like me and both of them in a group hug then i just BAM push them together and run away.
i need the next book immediately. im mentally holding the author at gunpoint until she finishes writing (for legal reasons this is a joke) (bad joke sorry) (don't come after me chloe) (ur safe) (for now).
THAT'S IT???! THAT'S HOW IT ENDS? none of my questions are answered, it ended right in the middle of the book. how is that allowed. i didn't pay for a half a book people. give me what a paid for: a BEGINNING, MIDDLE and an actual END. like HELLO did you run out of time and just submit the book before it was finished???
also orion. orion orion orion. i love me some orion. he was giving Kenji from shatter me.
so far from the typical serious, brooding, morally grey character but somehow just as hot even though he didn't take anything seriously, was a playboy, was distracted and flirtatious and made jokes at inappropriate times. i loved him i loved him i loved him.
and the other two couples of which i will not name bc i am afraid if i ever spoil everyone will come after me with pitchforks, i loved them soo much. i want to hug them. just like me and both of them in a group hug then i just BAM push them together and run away.
i need the next book immediately. im mentally holding the author at gunpoint until she finishes writing (for legal reasons this is a joke) (bad joke sorry) (don't come after me chloe) (ur safe) (for now).
October 7, 2023
Look, if you’re going to market your book on the fact that it takes place during a period of history that is not well known in the US, the least you can do is portray the historical time period with a certain degree of accuracy.
Before I delve into my complaints about the historical representation, though, I want to talk about my problems with the book from a writing/narrative standpoint.
At the beginning of FLF, I was enjoying this more than These Violent Delights. The characters were less bland, and I found this easier to read, though I can’t say for certain that this wasn’t due to a better audiobook narrator (Emily Woo Zeller is always a win).
But after 40%, the book started to drag. The characters had overstayed their welcome for me; they started to feel like sassy and/or badass caricatures who were mostly serving the tropes of the book instead of feeling like real, multidimensional people. Rosalind’s supposed “immortality” was functionally unnecessary to the plot and could have been removed from the book with almost no impact (I’m sorry, but many young women do not look radically different between 19 and 24 years old, so acting like that was a big reveal was just silly). The “spy” activities going on seemed nonsensical. Why are Chinese spies using English names while running around China, which is the best way to guarantee that other Chinese people will pay attention to and remember you? Why were Rosalind and Orion undercover at a newspaper office…while never doing any work actually related to the newspaper? It sounded more like a 21st century corporate office than a 1930s newspaper office. I was so bored with everything that was happening.
I didn’t enjoy Gong’s prose in These Violent Delights, and FLF has the same issues. It’s overly purple in places, has way too much telling, and randomly shifts into omniscient POV in the middle of third-person POV scenes for no reason (!!!). Not to mention, the narrative is occasionally interrupted by omniscient POV chapters, and my question is why? None of the omniscient chapters were necessary.
Also, I am not the biggest fan of the queer rep in this book. I thought people generally agreed that stereotyping the bi character as promiscuous and prone to cheating was bad. And I never like it when demisexuality/demiromanticism is linked to taking romantic betrayal harder than other people and therefore being more resistant to the idea of romance. (Honestly, if the one passage about Rosalind’s demisexuality/demiromanticism were removed from the book, everything else about her romance with Orion would have felt equally applicable to an allocishet character, which makes the rep feel like tokenism.)
The “big twist” at around 80% was terrible. Chloe Gong purposefully obscured any possible clue so that the reader couldn’t guess what the twist was ahead of time, even though the result is that nothing makes sense. Also, I just want to beg authors/editors/whoever to not use they/them pronouns when a character’s gender is known by others around them but the book is trying to obscure their identity solely for the reader’s sake. It’s dumb.
The only part that I enjoyed was the final twist on the last page. But that wasn’t enough to make up for everything else in the book.
Imperialism
Now, I want to talk briefly about the book’s stance on imperialism.
FLF is very repetitive and unsubtle about its “imperialism and colonization are bad” message. Yet there’s a weird dissonance in this book. At the same time that Chloe Gong, through her characters, keeps railing about the evils of imperialism and colonization, she has her main characters adhere to Western mannerisms and customs. All these Chinese characters go by English names, despite the fact that the book, y’know, takes place in China. They constantly speak English, not just to foreigners, but also among each other. They call their older siblings by their name, despite the fact that in Chinese culture, doing so means you have a terrible relationship with your sibling. And why the hell does Rosalind (while undercover as Orion’s wife) claim her surname is her “husband’s” surname when Chinese women do not change surnames upon marriage?
If the intention was to make the book “easier” for a Western audience to understand, then I would argue that FLF undercuts its own anti-imperialist message by depicting its Chinese characters mostly ignoring their own culture in favor of Westernization. And doing so also weakens the characters’ alleged “anti-imperialist” agenda when they seem happy to embrace Western culture.
On the same topic, it was very cringe when our main heroes would talk about the evils of Japanese and Western imperialism in China…and then claim that they need the British, Europeans, and Americans to stay in Shanghai to fight off the Japanese, because China is powerless. Like, please. You can’t claim imperialism is bad and then turn around and use imperialist rhetoric at the exact same time!
This is the problem when social justice is reduced to buzzwords that are thrown around on social media without a deeper understanding of what they actually mean. You end up with a paper-thin book that tries to challenge imperialism while at the same time reinforcing that everything Western is good.
Additionally, there’s a scene in which minor Chinese characters discuss the evils of empire and suggest that maybe China shouldn’t be an empire either, and…sigh. This is the problem with black-and-white morality in books. China has historically been an empire, and much of its national pride, even in current times, is linked to that history. I’d love for there to be a day when we can discuss the way China was victimized by the West during the 1800s/early 1900s without also minimizing China’s own imperialistic history, but I don’t know if that day will ever come.
Historical Inaccuracies
I have to point out that there was no PDA in China in the early 1900s. For two lovers to even hold hands in public was considered unusual. The fact that Rosalind and Orion publicly make out in order to convince people they’re married is, I’m sorry, historically inaccurate, unless Gong had included other people’s mortified reactions. I get that she wanted to play into the fake married couple trope, but she maybe should have taken a leaf from historical romances that can convey sexual tension without imposing a modern romantic sensibility on an earlier time period.
Also, to be pedantic: People didn’t eat out of plastic containers in the 1930s, stir-fried eggs with tomato was a new dish at this time (since tomatoes were imported from the US) and probably wasn't made by home cooks, and cumin lamb is a traditionally Uyghur Muslim cuisine that is widespread nowadays due to being popularized as Beijing street food, but was unlikely to have been common fare for Han Chinese living in Shanghai in the 1930s.
But these are minor-ish points that are far from my biggest concern.
I worry that readers will come away thinking that FLF is mostly historically accurate, when it’s not. It’s a highly Disney-fied version of history.
For how long this book is, Gong spends none of the wordcount explaining the Nationalist-vs.-Communist feud, even though that’s supposed to be the central conflict of her world. Because none of the main characters join their respective sides for ideological reasons, there is no discussion of the Communists’ goals or Nationalist corruption. I can’t speak for every reader, but the power balance between the two wasn’t even totally clear to me as I was reading. And when the Communists and Nationalists are portrayed as nearly interchangeable factions without any ideological distinctions, the stakes in the book correspondingly feel incredibly low, because why should the reader care about which side wins? (Ignoring the fact that we all know the Communists eventually won in real life.)
Gong refers to the 1927 purge of Communists from the Nationalist Party in bloodless terms. In actuality, the 1927 purge is also referred to as the “Shanghai Massacre” because thousands of Communists—men and women, laborers and students—were shot and beheaded, quite publicly, by the Nationalists in the streets of Shanghai. [*Note: I did not read Our Violent Ends, so I have no idea if Gong might have rewritten this history in that book. But even if she did, my question would still be…why.]
This is why I just don’t buy that the Nationalists would be so willing to disavow Rosalind if she’s ever discovered as their assassin. It just seems strange that FLF claims they care so much about their public image being nonviolent, given the 1927 massacre. (Plus, the Nationalists were also closely allied with Shanghai’s criminal underworld and in fact used gangsters to kill Communists and extort money from rich capitalists, which makes it odd that Gong claims the Nationalists in her book use the Scarlet Gang as scapegoats.)
The conflict between the Nationalists and Communists in real history was not simply an abstract struggle for power, with only a few skirmishes between spies. It was a violent conflict written in blood. Nationalists forced Communists to defect, and the Communists retaliated by murdering the entire families of traitors in order to discourage others from doing the same. Chiang Kai-Shek was so obsessed with eradicating the Communists that he even largely ignored Japanese encroachment in China in the 1930s (which makes FLF’s Nationalists’ anti-Japanese stance feel somewhat hollow).
Since the internet is where nuance goes to die, I just want to make it clear that I am not trying to defend the Chinese Communist Party (some of my family members died because of CCP policies, and that’s not even getting into their actions in recent years). And this is the problem when simply explaining or even just depicting history is conflated with justifying history online: we cannot ever talk about what actually happened without being accused of justifying bad actors. Yet explanations are not justifications, and I would argue that twisting history, rewriting it to try to fit it into a modern agenda, is still damaging.
To be fair to Chloe Gong, I can understand that talking about the Communists is a fraught topic. As I mentioned in the paragraph above, I’m afraid of getting labeled “CCP sympathizer” just for pointing out an era of history in which the Communists were less powerful than the Nationalists. But if that’s the case, why choose this subject to write about at all? Why write a work of historical fiction if you are going to either not do any research or completely ignore the history because it’s not convenient to talk about?
It almost feels like Gong wanted a “fun” backdrop for spy tropes and shenanigans, and that’s why the Communists and Nationalists feel so de-politicized in Foul Lady Fortune. But you can’t de-politicize something that is inherently political. Doing so robs readers of any ability to understand this complex period of China’s history and does an incredible disservice to the motivations of the people who engaged in this bloody struggle for control over China during this time period.
*
I just want to make it very clear that none of my critiques have anything to do with Chloe Gong being a diaspora author, but rather about the artistic choices she made and the misrepresentation of a complex and turbulent time period in Chinese history.
For anyone who is interested in learning more about Shanghai in the 1920s and 1930s, I recommend the following books:
- Shanghai: The Rise and Fall of a Decadent City by Stella Dong
- Remembering Shanghai: A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels by Isabel Sun Chao and Claire Chao
- The Shanghai Massacre: China's White Terror, 1927 by Phil Carradice
Before I delve into my complaints about the historical representation, though, I want to talk about my problems with the book from a writing/narrative standpoint.
At the beginning of FLF, I was enjoying this more than These Violent Delights. The characters were less bland, and I found this easier to read, though I can’t say for certain that this wasn’t due to a better audiobook narrator (Emily Woo Zeller is always a win).
But after 40%, the book started to drag. The characters had overstayed their welcome for me; they started to feel like sassy and/or badass caricatures who were mostly serving the tropes of the book instead of feeling like real, multidimensional people. Rosalind’s supposed “immortality” was functionally unnecessary to the plot and could have been removed from the book with almost no impact (I’m sorry, but many young women do not look radically different between 19 and 24 years old, so acting like that was a big reveal was just silly). The “spy” activities going on seemed nonsensical. Why are Chinese spies using English names while running around China, which is the best way to guarantee that other Chinese people will pay attention to and remember you? Why were Rosalind and Orion undercover at a newspaper office…while never doing any work actually related to the newspaper? It sounded more like a 21st century corporate office than a 1930s newspaper office. I was so bored with everything that was happening.
I didn’t enjoy Gong’s prose in These Violent Delights, and FLF has the same issues. It’s overly purple in places, has way too much telling, and randomly shifts into omniscient POV in the middle of third-person POV scenes for no reason (!!!). Not to mention, the narrative is occasionally interrupted by omniscient POV chapters, and my question is why? None of the omniscient chapters were necessary.
Also, I am not the biggest fan of the queer rep in this book. I thought people generally agreed that stereotyping the bi character as promiscuous and prone to cheating was bad. And I never like it when demisexuality/demiromanticism is linked to taking romantic betrayal harder than other people and therefore being more resistant to the idea of romance. (Honestly, if the one passage about Rosalind’s demisexuality/demiromanticism were removed from the book, everything else about her romance with Orion would have felt equally applicable to an allocishet character, which makes the rep feel like tokenism.)
The “big twist” at around 80% was terrible. Chloe Gong purposefully obscured any possible clue so that the reader couldn’t guess what the twist was ahead of time, even though the result is that nothing makes sense. Also, I just want to beg authors/editors/whoever to not use they/them pronouns when a character’s gender is known by others around them but the book is trying to obscure their identity solely for the reader’s sake. It’s dumb.
The only part that I enjoyed was the final twist on the last page. But that wasn’t enough to make up for everything else in the book.
Imperialism
Now, I want to talk briefly about the book’s stance on imperialism.
FLF is very repetitive and unsubtle about its “imperialism and colonization are bad” message. Yet there’s a weird dissonance in this book. At the same time that Chloe Gong, through her characters, keeps railing about the evils of imperialism and colonization, she has her main characters adhere to Western mannerisms and customs. All these Chinese characters go by English names, despite the fact that the book, y’know, takes place in China. They constantly speak English, not just to foreigners, but also among each other. They call their older siblings by their name, despite the fact that in Chinese culture, doing so means you have a terrible relationship with your sibling. And why the hell does Rosalind (while undercover as Orion’s wife) claim her surname is her “husband’s” surname when Chinese women do not change surnames upon marriage?
If the intention was to make the book “easier” for a Western audience to understand, then I would argue that FLF undercuts its own anti-imperialist message by depicting its Chinese characters mostly ignoring their own culture in favor of Westernization. And doing so also weakens the characters’ alleged “anti-imperialist” agenda when they seem happy to embrace Western culture.
On the same topic, it was very cringe when our main heroes would talk about the evils of Japanese and Western imperialism in China…and then claim that they need the British, Europeans, and Americans to stay in Shanghai to fight off the Japanese, because China is powerless. Like, please. You can’t claim imperialism is bad and then turn around and use imperialist rhetoric at the exact same time!
This is the problem when social justice is reduced to buzzwords that are thrown around on social media without a deeper understanding of what they actually mean. You end up with a paper-thin book that tries to challenge imperialism while at the same time reinforcing that everything Western is good.
Additionally, there’s a scene in which minor Chinese characters discuss the evils of empire and suggest that maybe China shouldn’t be an empire either, and…sigh. This is the problem with black-and-white morality in books. China has historically been an empire, and much of its national pride, even in current times, is linked to that history. I’d love for there to be a day when we can discuss the way China was victimized by the West during the 1800s/early 1900s without also minimizing China’s own imperialistic history, but I don’t know if that day will ever come.
Historical Inaccuracies
I have to point out that there was no PDA in China in the early 1900s. For two lovers to even hold hands in public was considered unusual. The fact that Rosalind and Orion publicly make out in order to convince people they’re married is, I’m sorry, historically inaccurate, unless Gong had included other people’s mortified reactions. I get that she wanted to play into the fake married couple trope, but she maybe should have taken a leaf from historical romances that can convey sexual tension without imposing a modern romantic sensibility on an earlier time period.
Also, to be pedantic: People didn’t eat out of plastic containers in the 1930s, stir-fried eggs with tomato was a new dish at this time (since tomatoes were imported from the US) and probably wasn't made by home cooks, and cumin lamb is a traditionally Uyghur Muslim cuisine that is widespread nowadays due to being popularized as Beijing street food, but was unlikely to have been common fare for Han Chinese living in Shanghai in the 1930s.
But these are minor-ish points that are far from my biggest concern.
I worry that readers will come away thinking that FLF is mostly historically accurate, when it’s not. It’s a highly Disney-fied version of history.
For how long this book is, Gong spends none of the wordcount explaining the Nationalist-vs.-Communist feud, even though that’s supposed to be the central conflict of her world. Because none of the main characters join their respective sides for ideological reasons, there is no discussion of the Communists’ goals or Nationalist corruption. I can’t speak for every reader, but the power balance between the two wasn’t even totally clear to me as I was reading. And when the Communists and Nationalists are portrayed as nearly interchangeable factions without any ideological distinctions, the stakes in the book correspondingly feel incredibly low, because why should the reader care about which side wins? (Ignoring the fact that we all know the Communists eventually won in real life.)
Gong refers to the 1927 purge of Communists from the Nationalist Party in bloodless terms. In actuality, the 1927 purge is also referred to as the “Shanghai Massacre” because thousands of Communists—men and women, laborers and students—were shot and beheaded, quite publicly, by the Nationalists in the streets of Shanghai. [*Note: I did not read Our Violent Ends, so I have no idea if Gong might have rewritten this history in that book. But even if she did, my question would still be…why.]
This is why I just don’t buy that the Nationalists would be so willing to disavow Rosalind if she’s ever discovered as their assassin. It just seems strange that FLF claims they care so much about their public image being nonviolent, given the 1927 massacre. (Plus, the Nationalists were also closely allied with Shanghai’s criminal underworld and in fact used gangsters to kill Communists and extort money from rich capitalists, which makes it odd that Gong claims the Nationalists in her book use the Scarlet Gang as scapegoats.)
The conflict between the Nationalists and Communists in real history was not simply an abstract struggle for power, with only a few skirmishes between spies. It was a violent conflict written in blood. Nationalists forced Communists to defect, and the Communists retaliated by murdering the entire families of traitors in order to discourage others from doing the same. Chiang Kai-Shek was so obsessed with eradicating the Communists that he even largely ignored Japanese encroachment in China in the 1930s (which makes FLF’s Nationalists’ anti-Japanese stance feel somewhat hollow).
Since the internet is where nuance goes to die, I just want to make it clear that I am not trying to defend the Chinese Communist Party (some of my family members died because of CCP policies, and that’s not even getting into their actions in recent years). And this is the problem when simply explaining or even just depicting history is conflated with justifying history online: we cannot ever talk about what actually happened without being accused of justifying bad actors. Yet explanations are not justifications, and I would argue that twisting history, rewriting it to try to fit it into a modern agenda, is still damaging.
To be fair to Chloe Gong, I can understand that talking about the Communists is a fraught topic. As I mentioned in the paragraph above, I’m afraid of getting labeled “CCP sympathizer” just for pointing out an era of history in which the Communists were less powerful than the Nationalists. But if that’s the case, why choose this subject to write about at all? Why write a work of historical fiction if you are going to either not do any research or completely ignore the history because it’s not convenient to talk about?
It almost feels like Gong wanted a “fun” backdrop for spy tropes and shenanigans, and that’s why the Communists and Nationalists feel so de-politicized in Foul Lady Fortune. But you can’t de-politicize something that is inherently political. Doing so robs readers of any ability to understand this complex period of China’s history and does an incredible disservice to the motivations of the people who engaged in this bloody struggle for control over China during this time period.
*
I just want to make it very clear that none of my critiques have anything to do with Chloe Gong being a diaspora author, but rather about the artistic choices she made and the misrepresentation of a complex and turbulent time period in Chinese history.
For anyone who is interested in learning more about Shanghai in the 1920s and 1930s, I recommend the following books:
- Shanghai: The Rise and Fall of a Decadent City by Stella Dong
- Remembering Shanghai: A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels by Isabel Sun Chao and Claire Chao
- The Shanghai Massacre: China's White Terror, 1927 by Phil Carradice
September 27, 2022
two spies in a marriage of convenience constantly on the brain right now...
07/05/22 — not a single coherent thought in my mind right now because those last 100 pages took away the bit of sanity i had left. foul lady fortune was an absolute joy to read while also having readers at the edge of their seats and drawing conclusions at every given turn. something about gong's characters gets me so instantly attached, one will come to empathize and love rosalind lang a lot for the most part in understanding how her guilt affects her and motives especially after the events of our violent ends and with being endeared by orion hong, as he is a fellow spy playing fake husband to rosalind, his persona being so charming. particular scenes between rosalind and orion make me lose my mind with their fake marriage dynamic, the amount of hilarious banter they have and the way orion comes to care so much. i honestly adored the entire cast of characters with two familiar faces from the these violent delights duology... oh how i’ve missed celia and alisa so much they are everything to me. there’s also newer faces of orion’s siblings oliver and phoebe and their friend silas, providing insight for the different factions. multi-perspective books are much satisfying to me getting to see situations through different sets of eyes every few pages! i agree with other reviews that this was more entertaining and had certain strong points where tvd duology lacked, despite ove still being a huge favorite of mine from my memory of reading that one. though with this one, as much i said i love enjoyed the multi-pov one thing was the plotline at times being hard to follow with the different perspectives with the fantasy mystery and spy mission adventures atmosphere. but nevertheless i was hooked completely with the characters and the time period atmosphere based off real history of china’s civil war of nationals and communists.
refraining from speaking more for the sake of spoilers, but chloe gong has done it again i fear with this novel being a delight yet thrilling and mysterious keeping readers gripping to its pages. i can’t believe i have to wait for the sequel after that mind-blowing ending, need answers immediately to the amount of questions i have...
buddy read with kez, nat and sara (:
— Huge thanks to Riveted by Simon Teen (Simon & Schuster) for providing me with a physical advanced review copy through the Yallwest Book Festival !!
07/05/22 — not a single coherent thought in my mind right now because those last 100 pages took away the bit of sanity i had left. foul lady fortune was an absolute joy to read while also having readers at the edge of their seats and drawing conclusions at every given turn. something about gong's characters gets me so instantly attached, one will come to empathize and love rosalind lang a lot for the most part in understanding how her guilt affects her and motives especially after the events of our violent ends and with being endeared by orion hong, as he is a fellow spy playing fake husband to rosalind, his persona being so charming. particular scenes between rosalind and orion make me lose my mind with their fake marriage dynamic, the amount of hilarious banter they have and the way orion comes to care so much. i honestly adored the entire cast of characters with two familiar faces from the these violent delights duology... oh how i’ve missed celia and alisa so much they are everything to me. there’s also newer faces of orion’s siblings oliver and phoebe and their friend silas, providing insight for the different factions. multi-perspective books are much satisfying to me getting to see situations through different sets of eyes every few pages! i agree with other reviews that this was more entertaining and had certain strong points where tvd duology lacked, despite ove still being a huge favorite of mine from my memory of reading that one. though with this one, as much i said i love enjoyed the multi-pov one thing was the plotline at times being hard to follow with the different perspectives with the fantasy mystery and spy mission adventures atmosphere. but nevertheless i was hooked completely with the characters and the time period atmosphere based off real history of china’s civil war of nationals and communists.
refraining from speaking more for the sake of spoilers, but chloe gong has done it again i fear with this novel being a delight yet thrilling and mysterious keeping readers gripping to its pages. i can’t believe i have to wait for the sequel after that mind-blowing ending, need answers immediately to the amount of questions i have...
buddy read with kez, nat and sara (:
— Huge thanks to Riveted by Simon Teen (Simon & Schuster) for providing me with a physical advanced review copy through the Yallwest Book Festival !!
May 1, 2024
prereview
maybe i’ll write a review for this after i stop screeching. god these characters are my children now i’m so … goodbye (ty isaur for listening to me yap <3) ୨୧
pre-read
➺ i’m ready to see what the rosaorion girlies are on ✽
maybe i’ll write a review for this after i stop screeching. god these characters are my children now i’m so … goodbye (ty isaur for listening to me yap <3) ୨୧
pre-read
➺ i’m ready to see what the rosaorion girlies are on ✽
October 9, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
This was honestly SUCH a stunning read!! 😍😍 I really enjoyed the These Violent Delights duology so I was so excited to read the spinoff, and it did NOT disappoint- I loved it smm 🩷🩷🫶🫶
“You can't ask me not to love you by keeping me at arm's length. I'll love you anyway.”
Foul Lady Fortune is the first book in a spinoff series from These Violent Delights, which is part of the larger Secret Shanghai series. In this book, we follow our mc Rosalind Lang (a side character in These Violent Delights). Four years ago, she was brought back from the brink of death by an experiment that granted her extraordinary abilities- she no longer sleeps and ages, and can heal from any wound. In short, she cannot die. She is now working as an assassin for her country- code name: Fortune. When murders start happening around the city, Rosalind has to infiltrate foreign society to figure out this terror plot. And in order to reduce suspicion, she must work with another spy, Orion Hong- posing as his wife.
“Lady Fortune, you play foul.”
I've been wanting to read this for ages and like i said, I loved These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends. i was still a little nervous for this bc I wasn't the biggest fan of Rosalind in the original duology. BUT this was smm better than I thought it would be and i ended up LOVING it!! 🥰🥰🫶🫶
Starting with the characters- ahhh I love them!! 💗 I love how Chloe Gong always write such fierce characters and yet you can connect to them so deeply. I loved Rosalind as our mc- she wasn't my fav in These Violent Delights but i think her having her own book really helped. I really grew to appreciate her character!! 🤩🤩 She's had a really hard past and seeing how those things affected her really made me feel for her. But i loved how fierce and grumpy she was, it was so entertaining to read!! 🫶
I was also obsessed with Orion 😩😩 like, sir, you had no business making me blush and giggle like that 🤭🤭🤌🤌 He was a playboy, charming type which was very refreshing from the normal morally grey, brooding book bf. I lovedd how he called Rosalind "my wife" and "beloved" it got me every time 🔥 live laugh love orion hong 💗💗
Plus it was soo fun to see characters from these violent delights pop up!! it felt like greeting old friends 🥹🥹❤️🩹❤️🩹
“You cannot save the world. You can try to save one thing if you must, but it is enough if that one thing is yourself.”
The writing and plot of this book were also stunning!! 🥰🥰 I literally love Chloe Gong's writing style smm- i love how descriptive it is and it always makes me feel like I'm in Shanghai with these characters. I can't believe she's so young and yet writes so beautifully. The plot was also soo interesting- i loved the murder mystery aspect and there was SO MUCH action, so it never got uninteresting 🫶🫶
But that ending tho??? 😲😲😲 ARE YOU KIDDING ME. The number of plot twists that came out of nowhere and slapped me in the face was insaneee. I seriously felt like i was getting whiplash 😳😳 those twists were literally SOO FREAKING GOOD. The last line of the book-- 🤯🤯🤯 i'm so glad i waited to read this when the sequel was already out bc i neeed it!! 😫😫
“ORION!” Rosalind screamed. “I AM DOING MY BEST, BELOVED.” “YOU ARE GOING TO GIVE ME A HERNIA.”
Lastly, the romance- which was SO. GOOD. 🤭😩🤌🔥❤️🦋 i must say, i wasn't so sure about it at first and there were literal CRUMBS in the first half- but the second half?? a whole freaking feast. i was eating it uppp 😩😩🤌🤌 I loved the fake marriage/marriage of convenience aspect, it was smm fun hehehe 🤭🤭The nicknames tho?? the 'who did this to you' moment??? Orion's inner monologues??? OBSESSED with them ❤️❤️ they are the EPITOME of 'he was sunshine, i was midnight rain' and you can't convince me otherwise 😌😌
The only reasons this didn't get a higher rating was bc it did have a bit of a slow start and the politics confused the hell out of me, but otherwise it was so good 🫶
“Don’t”—he swung again—“touch”—another hard thwack—“my”—the crate broke into two pieces—“wife.” ~ SCREAMING
“You wanted daffodils at your wedding, and suddenly I wanted to be the one beside you at the altar watching you hold them. I wanted it to be real. I wanted it all to be real.” ~ 🥺🥺🥺
Overall, STUNNING 😍😍 Definitely read this if you want:
✔ Fake marriage romance
✔ New book bf
✔ Action-packed story
✔ Spies!!
I'm soo excited to read the second book!! 🩷🩷🫶🫶
《 2023 Challenge: Book 123 of 110!! 》
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ahhhh THIS WAS SO GOOD 😩😩 The story, the characters, the romance- all *chefs kiss* 🩷🩷🫶🫶
That ending tho- 🤯🤯🤯 I am in shock 🫠
RTC!
This was honestly SUCH a stunning read!! 😍😍 I really enjoyed the These Violent Delights duology so I was so excited to read the spinoff, and it did NOT disappoint- I loved it smm 🩷🩷🫶🫶
“You can't ask me not to love you by keeping me at arm's length. I'll love you anyway.”
Foul Lady Fortune is the first book in a spinoff series from These Violent Delights, which is part of the larger Secret Shanghai series. In this book, we follow our mc Rosalind Lang (a side character in These Violent Delights). Four years ago, she was brought back from the brink of death by an experiment that granted her extraordinary abilities- she no longer sleeps and ages, and can heal from any wound. In short, she cannot die. She is now working as an assassin for her country- code name: Fortune. When murders start happening around the city, Rosalind has to infiltrate foreign society to figure out this terror plot. And in order to reduce suspicion, she must work with another spy, Orion Hong- posing as his wife.
“Lady Fortune, you play foul.”
I've been wanting to read this for ages and like i said, I loved These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends. i was still a little nervous for this bc I wasn't the biggest fan of Rosalind in the original duology. BUT this was smm better than I thought it would be and i ended up LOVING it!! 🥰🥰🫶🫶
Starting with the characters- ahhh I love them!! 💗 I love how Chloe Gong always write such fierce characters and yet you can connect to them so deeply. I loved Rosalind as our mc- she wasn't my fav in These Violent Delights but i think her having her own book really helped. I really grew to appreciate her character!! 🤩🤩 She's had a really hard past and seeing how those things affected her really made me feel for her. But i loved how fierce and grumpy she was, it was so entertaining to read!! 🫶
I was also obsessed with Orion 😩😩 like, sir, you had no business making me blush and giggle like that 🤭🤭🤌🤌 He was a playboy, charming type which was very refreshing from the normal morally grey, brooding book bf. I lovedd how he called Rosalind "my wife" and "beloved" it got me every time 🔥 live laugh love orion hong 💗💗
Plus it was soo fun to see characters from these violent delights pop up!! it felt like greeting old friends 🥹🥹❤️🩹❤️🩹
“You cannot save the world. You can try to save one thing if you must, but it is enough if that one thing is yourself.”
The writing and plot of this book were also stunning!! 🥰🥰 I literally love Chloe Gong's writing style smm- i love how descriptive it is and it always makes me feel like I'm in Shanghai with these characters. I can't believe she's so young and yet writes so beautifully. The plot was also soo interesting- i loved the murder mystery aspect and there was SO MUCH action, so it never got uninteresting 🫶🫶
But that ending tho??? 😲😲😲 ARE YOU KIDDING ME. The number of plot twists that came out of nowhere and slapped me in the face was insaneee. I seriously felt like i was getting whiplash 😳😳 those twists were literally SOO FREAKING GOOD. The last line of the book-- 🤯🤯🤯 i'm so glad i waited to read this when the sequel was already out bc i neeed it!! 😫😫
“ORION!” Rosalind screamed. “I AM DOING MY BEST, BELOVED.” “YOU ARE GOING TO GIVE ME A HERNIA.”
Lastly, the romance- which was SO. GOOD. 🤭😩🤌🔥❤️🦋 i must say, i wasn't so sure about it at first and there were literal CRUMBS in the first half- but the second half?? a whole freaking feast. i was eating it uppp 😩😩🤌🤌 I loved the fake marriage/marriage of convenience aspect, it was smm fun hehehe 🤭🤭The nicknames tho?? the 'who did this to you' moment??? Orion's inner monologues??? OBSESSED with them ❤️❤️ they are the EPITOME of 'he was sunshine, i was midnight rain' and you can't convince me otherwise 😌😌
The only reasons this didn't get a higher rating was bc it did have a bit of a slow start and the politics confused the hell out of me, but otherwise it was so good 🫶
“Don’t”—he swung again—“touch”—another hard thwack—“my”—the crate broke into two pieces—“wife.” ~ SCREAMING
“You wanted daffodils at your wedding, and suddenly I wanted to be the one beside you at the altar watching you hold them. I wanted it to be real. I wanted it all to be real.” ~ 🥺🥺🥺
Overall, STUNNING 😍😍 Definitely read this if you want:
✔ Fake marriage romance
✔ New book bf
✔ Action-packed story
✔ Spies!!
I'm soo excited to read the second book!! 🩷🩷🫶🫶
《 2023 Challenge: Book 123 of 110!! 》
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ahhhh THIS WAS SO GOOD 😩😩 The story, the characters, the romance- all *chefs kiss* 🩷🩷🫶🫶
That ending tho- 🤯🤯🤯 I am in shock 🫠
RTC!
June 20, 2024
“you wanted daffodils at your wedding, and suddenly i wanted to be the one beside you at the altar watching you hold them. i wanted it to be real. i wanted it all to be real."
i will never forget how i nearly broke down crying in front of chloe gong herself when she was signing my copy of foul lady fortune. i was literally embarrassed for myself, but we'll ignore that because I was hooked with this premise of a spy-noir, historical thriller-type book. and with a dash of fake marriage trope? absolutely yes.
₊˚꒰ 🕊️ ꒱ ⊹ i. plot. ₊˚⊹ ꒱
it's been four years since the reign of gangsters in shanghai came to an exploding end. now, a new decade awaits, where political factions have emerged, a serial killer runs amok, and a rising force threatens this glittering city.
rosalind lang, a former member of the scarlet gang, now takes up poisons as her weapon of choice as she becomes the nationalists' secret weapon: an immortal assassin and covert operative known by the name of fortune. orion hong, the son of a disgraced nationalist general, is a spy, notorious for his arrogance and lofty demeanor. together, they are high tide, a duo masquerading as husband and wife to infiltrate a japanese society.
“in that manner, perhaps no one is alike to anyone, but that only means that they are another one of the masses, another face that does not draw attention, another late-night wanderer trailing along the streets to the dun, dun! of the tram chugging on its tracks. they are your neighbor leaning off the balcony; they are a hawker selling peaches; they are that banker hailing the last rickshaw in the area to pursue the night in a different district. they are, quite simply, shanghai.”
₊˚꒰ 💌 ꒱ ⊹ ii. rosalind and orion. ₊˚⊹ ꒱
i did not care much for rosalind in these violent delights. in foul lady fortune, i was eager for this chance to explore her character more, discover her hidden depths that we didn't see much in the duology. i love her growth in this book, how she was willing to trust and open up her heart again despite how much her guilt drowned her at the beginning of the novel. her vulnerability and inner conflict make her more relatable to the audience than juliette.
orion hong is a man i'll be on my knees for without question. i absolutely adore everything about him: his distinct character, his sarcastic humor, his wit. despite his flirtatious and prideful manner, there's a soft side to orion that provides an extra layer of depth and complexity to his character. orion's playfulness works well with rosalind's more straightforward nature, and their banter feels natural and compelling and flows smoothly with the pacing.
“this is not a game to me. i would rather die by your hand than have you believe me a traitor. i would rather take a fast bullet than have us pitted on different sides of an agonizing battle.”
₊˚꒰ 🥑 ꒱ ⊹ iii. side characters. ₊˚⊹ ꒱
but we can't forget oliver, celia, phoebe, silas, and alisa. like rosalind, i love seeing celia's growth, how she learns to fully embrace herself and break free from the mold of being kathleen for so many years. i adore the tension between oliver and celia, how naturally it developed over the course of the book. despite them not being the main characters, i was fully captivated with their story.
even though their character arcs weren't my favourite as much as the others, phoebe and silas have a great and friendly dynamic. i adore their bubbly nature, a great contrast to the seriousness of celia and oliver. it distinctly marks their age and strictly divides teenage antics from young adult mannerisms, making their portrayals accurate. i honestly love all the platonic relationships in this book, the natural chemistry and fierce protectiveness of family and friendship, and how genuine gong portrays the characters navigating their relationships. it's refreshing to have such a large cast of characters that's so diverse that it doesn't seem like a drag to read a certain character's point of view. gong weaves them together so seamlessly that the storytelling felt smooth despite the slower pacing. i can see how overwhelming it can be with this massive cast, but i do think it makes the plotline and pacing more bearable because it didn't feel glacier-slow compared to these violent delights.
₊˚꒰ 🌷 ꒱ ⊹ iv. prose. ₊˚⊹ ꒱
once again, chloe gong keeps up with the beautiful prose and vivid descriptions that she manages well in the duology. she wonderfully captures the setting of 1930s shanghai at the cusp of a political uprising, painting us an image of the violence and the action that i can imagine with startling clarity.
“a city reborn is a city traumatized. it remembers its past, every second that it took to get to this point. it sees the former version of itself and knows that it has changed, its boots no longer fitting, its hats no longer comfortable. the streets trace how they used to sprawl. no matter how it is paved over and reorganized, memories and echoes do not fade away that easily.”
₊˚꒰ 🌱 ꒱ ⊹ v. conclusion. ₊˚⊹ ꒱
i do think that gong redeemed herself since her debut with this new duology. her storytelling and prose are getting better, but there's still pacing issues. gong has the habit of dragging her beginnings in a very slow manner and packing everything towards the very end that it almost feels like a whirlwind once you get to the story's climax, which can be immensely overwhelming to readers. however, i do think it's a strong book in gong's own repertoire, and i would definitely recommend it to anyone delving into ya historical fantasy.
—3.5 stars. ⋆˚☆˖°
.° ༘🎧⋆ favourite quotes 🖇₊˚ෆ
“ORION! YOU ARE GOING TO GIVE ME A HERNIA.”
"there is no trick. i allow this because i love you.”
“who did this to you? i’ll kill them.”
“your life is mine as mine is yours. we are bound in duty if not in matrimony. i won’t make the same mistake twice.”
“he would promise to wander the ends of the earth and find where the sky began if it meant she would keep her hand there, if it meant he could drown out the rest of his frantic fears by focusing on the sound of her voice. she was his guiding saint, the polaris of his heart.”
"nation over everything. but not you, sweetheart. never your life in exchange.”
June 26, 2023
I really enjoyed getting to visit this world again, which I’m really glad about because Rosalind wasn’t one of my favourite characters in the original duology.
She really grew on me in this book and I loved the new characters of Orion and Oliver, while also getting to see Alisa Montagov and Rosalind’s sister Celia.
At times the different political stances lost me, but ultimately I enjoyed the action and twists. I’m looking forward to book 2!
********************
library copy available for pick up
So ready to get back into this world!
She really grew on me in this book and I loved the new characters of Orion and Oliver, while also getting to see Alisa Montagov and Rosalind’s sister Celia.
At times the different political stances lost me, but ultimately I enjoyed the action and twists. I’m looking forward to book 2!
********************
library copy available for pick up
So ready to get back into this world!
July 27, 2024
3.75 stars ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊
"Lady Fortune, you play foul"
this fell short for me, whether that was simply because i wasn't as interested in the politics as i was back in tvd, or because i didn't love the characters as much. the plot twists even didn't shock me too much. rosalindorion saved this book from being lower (sorry mits and emma) , they were just so adorable, and the romance tropes were new to me, but done so well! the concept of an assassin and a spy being forced into a fake marriage was just so fun and interesting. for me though, i thought a lot of the aspects of the story were rushed and there wasn't enough time to fully grasp everything and get sucked into the story. also the memory loss trope, and the talking to someone while they are unconscious trope are not my cup of tea, so that contributed to the 3.75. the opening scene reminded me of marvel though (which i adore!!) so i feel like that was the chloe gong beginning we all know and love!! her way of writing is so lovely and cinematic, which you'll find in the quotes at the bottom of this review. also chloe's a swiftie so bonus points <33
rosalind lang ✿
rosalind lang, otherwise known as jamie mead, lady fortune, fortune, mrs. mu, and lang shalin. a girl of many names, many hats, many scars, and many tricks. she's smart and takes no nonsense from anyone. my heart hurt for rosalind in tvd, after getting her heart broken by a guy who was supposed to be her roma montagov and getting publicly whipped, as well as losing her cousin to the ruthlessness of shanghai. her character in flf definitely pulls from her experiences back in tvd, as she is now a colder girl, who, despite receiving love from her elderly neighbor, feels as if she doesn't deserve the goodness the world can give. she's immortal, but she wants to stop cheating death and give in to the darkness, and even though i want a perfect happy ending for her, i feel like the greatest gift for her would be her mortality.
orion hong ✷
orion hong, the man that you are. he's such a cute golden retriever angel boy, and i love him for it. he's so me, if i was a boy. he's the dave rygalski of flf. the whole time he was around rosa, i kept shouting KISS KISS KISS because i need them to be together, and i will not sleep until it is done. despite being lied to, he was willing to share all his love and life stories with rosalind which was the most selfless and sweet thing he could have done. favorite huntsman, he definitely hunted me down and ripped my heart out for his taking. rosalind girl, if u don't want him, i'll take him. humor? check. considerate? check. super-cool spy? check. yeah, meets all my standards!!
other characters
olivercelia were so cute too like atp i tossed aside the politics bc on two opposing sides, there are two cute couples. that's where i'm invested.
and alisa montagova!! every time i read ab her i remembered roma, my fav, and died a little inside but it's okay, it's okay. phoebe hong being just like alisa felt like history repeating itself but yk at least this isn't a romeojuliet retelling so we're okay (i have no clue what as you like it is even ab)
quotes! ⪩⪨
“This is an age of consumption, time speeding by on American flavors and jazz, French literature and a sea of lost cosmopolitan love."
“Don’t”—he swung again—“touch”—another hard thwack—“my”—the crate broke into two pieces—“wife.”
"This is not a game to me,” Orion cut in. “I would rather die by your hand than have you believe me a traitor. I would rather take a fast bullet than have us pitted on different sides of an agonizing battle.”
“A city reborn is a city traumatized. It remembers its past, every second that it took to get to this point. It sees the former version of itself and knows that it has changed, its boots no longer fitting, its hats no longer comfortable. The streets trace how they used to sprawl. No matter how it is paved over and reorganized, memories and echoes do not fade away that easily.”
“What is family for if not to love us and then break our hearts?”
“Who did this to you?” Orion’s voice was violently quiet. “I’ll kill them.”
playlist ♬
you are in love-taylor swift
orion's belt-sabrina claudio
like real people do-hozier
look after you-the fray
run-taylor swift and ed sheeran
new skin-verite
stay-gracie abrams
................................................
ROSALINDORION MY BABIES rtc.
.................................................
chloe gong, don't let me down
"Lady Fortune, you play foul"
this fell short for me, whether that was simply because i wasn't as interested in the politics as i was back in tvd, or because i didn't love the characters as much. the plot twists even didn't shock me too much. rosalindorion saved this book from being lower (sorry mits and emma) , they were just so adorable, and the romance tropes were new to me, but done so well! the concept of an assassin and a spy being forced into a fake marriage was just so fun and interesting. for me though, i thought a lot of the aspects of the story were rushed and there wasn't enough time to fully grasp everything and get sucked into the story. also the memory loss trope, and the talking to someone while they are unconscious trope are not my cup of tea, so that contributed to the 3.75. the opening scene reminded me of marvel though (which i adore!!) so i feel like that was the chloe gong beginning we all know and love!! her way of writing is so lovely and cinematic, which you'll find in the quotes at the bottom of this review. also chloe's a swiftie so bonus points <33
rosalind lang ✿
beautiful. arrogant. conniving.
rosalind lang, otherwise known as jamie mead, lady fortune, fortune, mrs. mu, and lang shalin. a girl of many names, many hats, many scars, and many tricks. she's smart and takes no nonsense from anyone. my heart hurt for rosalind in tvd, after getting her heart broken by a guy who was supposed to be her roma montagov and getting publicly whipped, as well as losing her cousin to the ruthlessness of shanghai. her character in flf definitely pulls from her experiences back in tvd, as she is now a colder girl, who, despite receiving love from her elderly neighbor, feels as if she doesn't deserve the goodness the world can give. she's immortal, but she wants to stop cheating death and give in to the darkness, and even though i want a perfect happy ending for her, i feel like the greatest gift for her would be her mortality.
orion hong ✷
you wanted daffodils at your wedding, and suddenly i wanted to be the one beside you at the altar
orion hong, the man that you are. he's such a cute golden retriever angel boy, and i love him for it. he's so me, if i was a boy. he's the dave rygalski of flf. the whole time he was around rosa, i kept shouting KISS KISS KISS because i need them to be together, and i will not sleep until it is done. despite being lied to, he was willing to share all his love and life stories with rosalind which was the most selfless and sweet thing he could have done. favorite huntsman, he definitely hunted me down and ripped my heart out for his taking. rosalind girl, if u don't want him, i'll take him. humor? check. considerate? check. super-cool spy? check. yeah, meets all my standards!!
other characters
olivercelia were so cute too like atp i tossed aside the politics bc on two opposing sides, there are two cute couples. that's where i'm invested.
and alisa montagova!! every time i read ab her i remembered roma, my fav, and died a little inside but it's okay, it's okay. phoebe hong being just like alisa felt like history repeating itself but yk at least this isn't a romeojuliet retelling so we're okay (i have no clue what as you like it is even ab)
quotes! ⪩⪨
“This is an age of consumption, time speeding by on American flavors and jazz, French literature and a sea of lost cosmopolitan love."
“Don’t”—he swung again—“touch”—another hard thwack—“my”—the crate broke into two pieces—“wife.”
"This is not a game to me,” Orion cut in. “I would rather die by your hand than have you believe me a traitor. I would rather take a fast bullet than have us pitted on different sides of an agonizing battle.”
“A city reborn is a city traumatized. It remembers its past, every second that it took to get to this point. It sees the former version of itself and knows that it has changed, its boots no longer fitting, its hats no longer comfortable. The streets trace how they used to sprawl. No matter how it is paved over and reorganized, memories and echoes do not fade away that easily.”
“What is family for if not to love us and then break our hearts?”
“Who did this to you?” Orion’s voice was violently quiet. “I’ll kill them.”
playlist ♬
you are in love-taylor swift
orion's belt-sabrina claudio
like real people do-hozier
look after you-the fray
run-taylor swift and ed sheeran
new skin-verite
stay-gracie abrams
................................................
ROSALINDORION MY BABIES rtc.
.................................................
chloe gong, don't let me down
February 5, 2024
4.25 stars.
Orion ''Don’t touch my wife'', ''Who did this to you? I’ll kill them.'', ''Nation over everything. But not you, sweetheart. Never your life in exchange.'' Hong.
I don't think any fictional man can get any hotter than him.
Orion ''Don’t touch my wife'', ''Who did this to you? I’ll kill them.'', ''Nation over everything. But not you, sweetheart. Never your life in exchange.'' Hong.
I don't think any fictional man can get any hotter than him.
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