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pages_with_panda's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
“Tiān nǎ” (I hope I'm using that phrase right!)
A beautiful continuation of the first story, picking up right where we left off. There's really no time for much recap so if it's been a while since you read the first one, maybe brush up on some names. This book is fast-paced, full of betrayal, violence, and yearning.
"Lovers turned to strangers, and it cut deep enough to bleed."
The monsters are still here - this time with a new master who can control them at will. The threat of the Communists, the Revolutionaries and both gangs are still around our main characters and they have to deal with the plot-twist of the last book.
Juliette and Romeo's relationship in this book was amazing. I loved their development from enemies-to-lovers and their love-hate relationship. Forced together (again) to work on solving the mystery of the monsters was great and I ate it up.
Only he knew that if he screamed I hate you, what he really meant was I love you. I still love you so much that I hate you for it.
Beyond our two star-crossed lovers, I fell in love with Alisa, Rosalind, Celia, Marshall and Benedict. Their stories were intertwined well with our main characters, and I loved all of them...Though one a lot less than the others.
The relationships/romance weren't the main points of the story either. (Reminder that the original Romeo+Juliet wasn’t a romance but a TRAGEDY.) Gong does a great job of making this a historical fantasy book by tying in real events that happened in Shanghai. The politics were interesting and making no one faction the good guy/bad guy made for a great story. Her writing was descriptive and poetic, and she even quoted some of the plays dialogue in a way that fit the setting.
And even though this is a retelling, the story was full of surprises and I audible gasped at a few scenes. The ending should've been expected but still hurt.
Loved it.
She would rather hold this hope so close to her chest that it feels like a fire on its own, flickering against the darkness, flickering even where other embers burn out.
Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Death, Violence, War, Murder, Blood, and Gun violence
Moderate: Torture, Suicidal thoughts, and Gore
andatherrin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, War, and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Homophobia, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
esme_t's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, and Death
Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Minor: Abandonment and Suicide
hnagarne's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Grief, Police brutality, Classism, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Gore, Blood, Genocide, Kidnapping, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Homophobia and Deadnaming
clawclawclaw's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Murder and Violence
Moderate: War, Death, and Gun violence
peachieko's review against another edition
Graphic: Violence, Torture, and Blood
Moderate: Grief, Colonisation, and Suicide
Minor: Death of parent
clairew97's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Colonisation, Alcohol, Child death, Grief, Blood, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Body horror, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, and Violence
namenotimportant's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"In the end, this was all that they were. Two hearts pressed as close as they dared, shadows melding into one by the flickering candlelight."
Wow, I'm in awe. This book had me in a chokehold for the last 100 pages. No scratch that, at least the last 200 pages.
Graphic: War, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Colonisation, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
rexpostfacto's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Xenophobia, and Murder
Moderate: Blood, Classism, Alcohol, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Mass/school shootings, and Death
sabrinz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The threat of more monsters hangs over Shanghai and Roma is convinced by Juliette's charade that she has killed Marshall. However, the two crime lords want their heirs to work suddenly work together to find a blackmailer who threatens to unleash more of the monsters. Soon, the blackmailer becomes the least of Roma and Juliette's problems as the powder keg that is Shanghai is only seconds away from exploding.
Buckle in for book 2 because there is a LOT going on and hardly a moment to catch your breath. It's a great conclusion to this take on Romeo and Juliet.
Moderate: Colonisation, Violence, Gun violence, and Murder
Minor: Torture