Reviews with content warning for Transphobia - Foul Heart Huntsman

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Foul Heart Huntsman by Chloe Gong

9 reviews

honeycupreads's review

adventurous emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

This is kind of a review for Foul Lady Fortune and Foul Heart Huntsman because it didn’t feel right to talk about them separately. I don’t think I could be any happier with the conclusion to a universe I love so dearly. I started this journey with Roma and Juliet and ended it with Rosaline and Orion and I’ve truly loved every second, even when I was sobbing so badly I couldn’t continue to read because I couldn’t see. Chloe Gong has created a universe that I will always cherish in my heart and I can’t even begin to describe my love for it. Foul Heart Huntsman is truly such a beautiful ending for this universe.

When I started reading Foul Lady Fortune I was afraid I wouldn’t love the characters as much as I loved the ones from These Violent Delights but it was so easy to fall in love with them. The relationships between these characters are so interesting to watch, from the complex sibling relationships to the lovely romantic relationships. I loved Rosalind and Orion so much that it was almost unbearable at times. Rosalind is such a beautifully written character, someone who spends every day of her life trying to make amends for

a death that never really happened and

a mistake that she was fooled into making by a man who told her he loved her and used her.

When Juliet asks her how long she’s been carrying the guilt of walking out on her that night unknowing that it would be the last time she saw her my heart broke.

Orion on the other hand was equally as tragic, motivated by pain and duty, he truly gives his all to his missions and is still suspected of not truly being loyal.

Oliver and Celia… I don’t even know where to begin. I love them so dearly, I loved every scene between them and don’t think I could ever get enough. Chloe Gong if you ever see this please consider writing a novella for them I’m not above begging and groveling. There were so many times I had to set the book down and kick my feet or take a lap around the room because I just couldn’t handle the emotions I felt watching them dance around their feelings. Even when one of them would say something the conversation would just carry on as if nothing happened and I just wanted to jump into the book and yell at them to SPEAK (I loved every minute of them being emotionally constipated little shits).

When Oliver said “You can’t ask me not to love you by keeping me at arm’s length. I’ll love you anyway.” in Foul Lady Fortune I almost threw up (in a good way I promise).

I could honestly go on and on about these two like there wasn’t a moment that passed between them that didn’t affect me in one way or another.

When Oliver told Celia he would make her his altar and put her above everything else in the world I seriously thought I was going to die like I couldn’t breathe (I don’t know how Celia survived that).

#AlisaMontagovaFansTexas!! I loved Alisa in the first duology but love her even more here. She blossomed in this duology and I couldn’t be more fortunate to have witnessed it. The way she truly solidifies herself as a character in this duology is so great, she proves time and time again how vital she is to the success of the mission.

When she and Roma reunited it was wonderful, my heart felt so full, especially after reading how much Roma missed her in A Foul Thing. When they are talking at the kitchen table Roma says “ I would have found you anywhere. Across the world and under it. No matter how well you hide. It doesn’t matter where you go. I’ll always find you. Understand?” I couldn’t stop crying.

I have a lot of feelings for Phoebe and I don’t know where to even begin. I loved her yet I also truly hated her at times, always caught between one emotion or the other never feeling neutral. One thing I did love about her character was seeing the relationship between her and her mother and how it truly affected the trajectory of her life. Everything Phoebe was, stemmed from her mother, and seeing her come to terms with the fact that her mother was never who she thought she was, was incredibly fascinating to witness. Silas on the other hand… I adored him the whole way. He was constantly ready to give all of himself for Phoebe and Orion, which was so beautiful.

Even when he was believed to have betrayed them he genuinely did everything for them.

I think I could ramble on about this duology for ages but unfortunately (or fortunately for whoever is reading this) I have no words left. I think the last thing I would like to say is thank you Chloe Gong for letting us spend at least a little time with these beautiful characters you have created. I have sincerely loved this journey and will cherish it always.

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bookedandbusy's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I loved this book and thought it was a great end to the series!! I loved seeing all the characters again and I loved the friendships and relationships! It was action packed and fast paced, and I loved it!

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gardens_and_dragons's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

A good follow up to the Foul Lady Fortune book - we get more spies and assassin drama in 1930s Shanghai, romance (complicated by the spirit and assassin drama), some Easter eggs for fans of the first books Gong wrote, etc. it was a popcorny good action book that sped along despite being a long book.

There was some lovely dialogue about found family, loyalty and love here too. Very quotable!

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maple_dove's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Loved the double lives, assassins, and the unique humor of Chloe Gong's books. I just--unforgettable.

My only qualm was that near the end, it felt like things were quickly made up in a way that didn't line up with the story set in place. Not a huge deal though.

Favorite Quotes:

Regret is an emotion reserved for the powerless. There is no need for it here.

Phoebe felt like she was using him.
Well, she was. That part was unquestionable. Friendship consisted of reciprocally using each other with love, after all.

If I am to do some good, then I must make peace with my own limits. I would lose perspective otherwise."

We leave our characters during a period of peace, to continue onward with their lives even if they are soon to be surrounded by tragedy: as we all must do to some degree during our time in this world.

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blueberry0531's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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sophiareads_'s review

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adventurous mysterious

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

Content Warnings: violence (including gun violence), death, murder, war, mind control, medical experimentation, transphobia, child abuse (mentioned)

With her identity as Fortune, a nationalist assassin, exposed to the public, Rosalind Lang struggles to free her former mission partner, Orion Hong, from his mother's control and find a cure for the dangerous inventions Lady Hong has created.

Unfortunately, I never really got as swept away by the story here as I did reading the previous Secret Shanghai novels. This could definitely br my own fault - I do regret not rereading Foul Lady Fortune before I started this. Still, Chloe Gong's writing remains very engaging and enjoyable, I really do love the cast of characters she has created, and the ratio of plot to romance is spot on. (Was bringing Roma and Juliette back total fan service? Yes, but I do have to admit to getting hyped when they turned up).

Huge thank you to Hodder Books for sending me an ARC :)

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wet_towlette's review against another edition

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fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

CHLOE GONG THE WOMAN THAT YOU ARE. bro I can’t believe the Shanghai series is over this is absurd. There is always something about Chloe’s second books that get me to my core. It was so fun and exciting and like an action movie but made for the squealing teenage girls like me. The ending was perfect. I loved her notes and the end I thought it was really well done. Even though there is a lot of perspectives in this book and for a bit I thought that would be a complaint, they actually turned out to be really engaging and interesting in their own right. Like for a while I really cared to read about Rosalind and Orion but then it all started to work together and the pieces were falling into place and ITS JUST ALL SO GOOD I SWEAR BRO THE CHLOE GONG SECOND BOOKS JUST HIT DIFFERENT

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jenny_librarian's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

As good as the others! This last Secret Shanghai novel brings a beautiful end to the saga, with as many twists and turns as one can expect from Chloe Gong.

A lot happened in there, and I don’t mean only with the characters. Once again, the tense historical Chinese background blooms through and gives this story life. The setting is its own character and really elevates the whole thing from good to great.

I don’t usually love stories where everyone gets matched, but these couples have been in the work for two books, and some of the side characters have been together longer. So I can forgive it. And the demiromantic and trans rep included so smoothly makes it even better.

The last act might have required some suspension of disbelief (despite everything, I draw the line at that blood transfusion 🙈), but it doesn’t diminish my love for this series.

Thank you, Chloe Gong, for introducing me to early 20th century Shanghai and its many layers through a story that started as a Romeo & Juliet retelling.

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btwnprintedpgs's review

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adventurous funny informative mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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