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sydneyluxford's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- 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? No
5.0
There is absolutely no way the book ended like that, and Chloe Gong just ALLOWED it??? I literally need the second book this instant. ”It’s a pleasure to meet you properly, Priest.” WHAT??????
The last 30% of this book was absolute carnage, oh my god. STUFF KEPT HAPPENING AND I JUST COULD NOT PREDICT IT.
Rosalind needs to find and save Orion ASAP, because I literally have no clue what it going to happen to him.
The way this book had me hooked from the first chapter, OMG. I loved it so much.
I KNEW JULIETTE AND ROMA WERE ALIVE. I KNEW THE WHOLE TIME. That letter addressed from “JM” was definitely Juliette, but she’s now a Montagov. BRO, THEY HAVE TO BE ALIVE!!!
Orion and Rosalind were so cute. And I loved that in this grumpy x sunshine, the girl was the grumpy one for once, because then I can finally relate. The way Orion just presented himself and spoke to Rosalind 🤭🤭🤭. Bro, and Rosalind. I have a fat crush on her. She could murder someone in front of me and I’d turn a blind eye TBH.
The last 30% of this book was absolute carnage, oh my god. STUFF KEPT HAPPENING AND I JUST COULD NOT PREDICT IT.
The way this book had me hooked from the first chapter, OMG. I loved it so much.
Orion and Rosalind were so cute. And I loved that in this grumpy x sunshine, the girl was the grumpy one for once, because then I can finally relate. The way Orion just presented himself and spoke to Rosalind 🤭🤭🤭. Bro, and Rosalind. I have a fat crush on her. She could murder someone in front of me and I’d turn a blind eye TBH.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Abandonment
khnleesi's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
i love love love the work Chloe did with ‘These Violent Delights’ and ‘Our Violent Ends’ and will never stop talking about how well-written and awesome those two novels are, but sadly i won’t be able to talk about her third child, ‘Foul Lady Fortune’ , with the same passion.
let’s start with the protagonist : Rosalind.
i think it’s safe to say that i was more infuriated by her acting the opposite as a (good) spy and revealing her real identity every 3 seconds to strangers she encounters than her betraying her family and gang in OVE !
i know that she has been trained as an assassin and not as a spy like Orion (we’ll talk about him later..) , but i didn’t even feel like she made any efforts to prove to her surroundings that she was worthy of the title, which she should’ve !! 🤷🏻♀️
there was a passage where coworkers of hers told her that they were going to a party that took place in the club that she used to work in, and she apparently needed to go to that party because ‘she and Orion needed information about those said coworkers’ BUT going to that party would most certainly ruin her cover since people would recognize her! and guess what? SHE WENT TO THAT PARTY ANYWAY , ruined her cover and had to kill someone because of it AND didn’t discover a-ny-thing suspicious about her coworkers!
so what was the point of this scene except confirm me that Rosalind is the biggest idiot of her family?
since i mentioned Orion earlier , as i liked most of the male characters from ‘TVD’ and ‘OVE’ i , therefore , expected him to be an interesting and fresh new character , but oh my should i have lowered my expectations because i found him more personalityless than a 10 months old baby and annoying in the worst sense of the word!
he kept saying ‘beloved’ like it was a ponctuation mark like-.. SIR how can you expect me to take you seriously if you’re talking like that?? is your vocabulary seriously that smal???? urgh.
what is there to know about him except that he is a pretentious philanderer who has a terrible relationship with his parents and who can’t stop teasing Phoebe ? i’m genuinely asking!
i will die on a hill saying that the ‘don’t touch my wife’ and ‘who did this to you? i’ll make them pay’ tropes are terrible and unnecessary ; i thought Chloe knew better than to use them but whatever..
one thing i enjoyed was seeing Alisa and Celia again! especially because we got to see them both 4 years older and so at a total different point in their lifes from where we left them in ‘OVE’ BUT it’s the same thing than with Orion : they lacked some depth that would have made their choices and position in the communist party much more coherent!
lastly i thought the plot to be quite predictable (apart from that final plot twist that i didn’t see coming at all) and the build-up waaaaay too slow.
and about the entire political side : i’m just going to leave this review here ( https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5073269827 ) because it perfectly summarizes my thoughts!
conclusion : i still intend on picking the sequel up next year because i care about this world and it’s characters (or at least the majority of them) but that’s the only reason..
i’m not mad because i know a lot of people liked this book , i’m just greatly disappointed :/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
loveyoulike's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
wouldve loved to see more oliver, i kept suspecting him because we barely (if at all, even) went into his mind :( love the pacing of this book, i didn't want to put it down at any point (it's 7 am and i haven't slept a sec)
i guessed correctly about romajuli, the mother's role, AND phoebe so i'm feeling super smug HA!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Torture, Transphobia, and Sexual harassment
kdailyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Child death, Cursing, Infidelity, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury
kassidyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Gun violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
harriet_lyra's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
I had been awaiting this book for months, but as soon as I actually checked it out from the library I was hit with doubts. It's Chloe Gong, of course, so it couldn't be bad, but it couldn't be These Violent Delights either. So I put off reading it for another few days.
I was not disappointed. At all. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it back down (my friend looked at me in horror when she saw me pull a 500+ page novel out of my bag during lunch). It's true that Rosalind's not Juliette, and Orion's not Roma, but it is a completely different book, after all.
Foul Lady Fortune was loosely based on As You Like It, which I had been wondering about ever since we found out Kathleen's real name was Celia. It was a little too loosely based than I would have liked, mainly just people's names, but I did have a lot of fun catching the occasional direct Shakespeare quote. Take this one:
As You Like It:
Rosalind (pretending to be Ganymede): ...What would you say to me now, an I were your very Rosalind?
Orlando: I would kiss before I spoke.
Foul Lady Fortune:
Rosalind narrowed her eyes. "No 'thank you,' only sarcasm. So ungrateful. What would you say if I were really your wife?"
"That's easy." Orion popped his collar, then opened the door for her. "I would kiss before I spoke."
Anyway, the book was very good. The mystery was intriguing and the romance was very well written (well, let me be a little more specific. It was very well written between Rosalind and Orion, and between Celia and Oliver. Phoebe kind of annoyed me and Silas was for some reason just not compelling. But they weren't the focus and they didn't subtract from the overall enjoyment of the book) (Oh, and will there be a Touchstone for Audrey?).
I did have one problem with the book, but it wasn't a matter of the quality, instead on of my preferences, so I suppose it won't really matter to most.
I hold the unpopular opinion that Roma and Juliette really did die at the end of OVE. And more than just an opinion, my love of the original play and my admiration of martyrdom (to a level that is probably hazardous to my health) combined to make it seem plain wrong if they just faked their deaths and lived in peace for the rest of their days. But there were a few hints in Foul Lady Fortune that made me unable to continue stubbornly ignoring that possibility. Which is something I dearly want to do.
But Foul Lady Fortune was amazing and certainly did not deserve the doubts I had of it when I first picked it up. Oh, and Alisa's back!
I was not disappointed. At all. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it back down (my friend looked at me in horror when she saw me pull a 500+ page novel out of my bag during lunch). It's true that Rosalind's not Juliette, and Orion's not Roma, but it is a completely different book, after all.
Foul Lady Fortune was loosely based on As You Like It, which I had been wondering about ever since we found out Kathleen's real name was Celia. It was a little too loosely based than I would have liked, mainly just people's names, but I did have a lot of fun catching the occasional direct Shakespeare quote. Take this one:
As You Like It:
Rosalind (pretending to be Ganymede): ...What would you say to me now, an I were your very Rosalind?
Orlando: I would kiss before I spoke.
Foul Lady Fortune:
Rosalind narrowed her eyes. "No 'thank you,' only sarcasm. So ungrateful. What would you say if I were really your wife?"
"That's easy." Orion popped his collar, then opened the door for her. "I would kiss before I spoke."
Anyway, the book was very good. The mystery was intriguing and the romance was very well written (well, let me be a little more specific. It was very well written between Rosalind and Orion, and between Celia and Oliver. Phoebe kind of annoyed me and Silas was for some reason just not compelling. But they weren't the focus and they didn't subtract from the overall enjoyment of the book) (Oh, and will there be a Touchstone for Audrey?).
I did have one problem with the book, but it wasn't a matter of the quality, instead on of my preferences, so I suppose it won't really matter to most.
But Foul Lady Fortune was amazing and certainly did not deserve the doubts I had of it when I first picked it up. Oh, and Alisa's back!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
bluejayreads's review against another edition
4.0
This book combines historical fiction, spy thriller, scifi-created superhumans, and enemies-to-lovers romance, and it works remarkably well. Set in 1930s Shanghai, the Nationalist faction is in charge, while the communist faction has gone into hiding and the Japanese and their sympathizers plot a takeover. Rosalind, the protagonist, is a basically-immortal assassin forced to pretend to be another spy's wife for mission purposes. I actually enjoyed the multi-faction politics (assisted because it was mostly spy-vs-spy and whose-side-are-they-really-on with political details). The setting and historical details were fascinating. I'm always down for sci-fi superhumans, especially immortal assassins with angst. And I actually enjoyed the romance - I'm not usually much for enemies-to-lovers but I was really invested in this relationship. I did feel like I was missing some context, since it seems like the Foul Lady Fortune duology is a sorta-sequel to the author's These Violent Delights duology (I gather Rosalind is the cousin of the These Violent Delights protagonist, and this book is set four years after that duology ends). The second Foul Lady Fortune book isn't out yet - if it were available now, I'd probably read it, but since it will probably be a year or two, I don't know if I will. This book is very, very good, but I'm not dying for a sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence and Murder
Mind contrololivialandryxo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- 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
3.75
This is the second time this year that I’ve read one of my most anticipated releases and it hasn’t been everything I’d hoped it would be. At this point, I’m a little bit worried that’s going to become a trend.
It’s not that this was a bad book. It wasn’t. But it did lack the intrigue that drew me into and then kept me reading These Violent Delights. I guessed one of the major plot twists back in the first quarter of the book, and was just generally not as invested in the story or characters. The only one of the seven that I really liked was Alisa. Of the others, we barely saw Celia or Oliver, and I thought both Oliver and Phoebe were kind of annoying. I was mostly indifferent toward Rosalind and Orion—although Orion was, at least, occasionally amusing—and Silas just felt bland.
I couldn’t even get behind any of the ships. Silas and Phoebe had no chemistry. If we hadn’t been told that they liked each other, I wouldn’t have known. Oliver and Celia didn’t have nearly enough page time for me to get behind them. Honestly, I feel like both Silas and Celia could do better, sorry not sorry. As for Rosalind and Orion, I’ll admit that they had a few good scenes and some good banter, but for the most part, they just kind of felt… meh. I hate to say all of this, but it’s true. I know what Chloe can do with romance—I’ve seen it in Romette and in Benmars. I adore both of those couples and was hoping to feel similar love for these new ones, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. I do think that Rosaorion has the most potential for the sequel, though. Maybe I could still board that ship at some point. We’ll see.
My favorite part of the book was the tiny Benmars update we got in one of Alisa’s early chapters, and the most entertaining part was searching for clues as to whether or not Roma and Juliette are still alive. I already thought they were before starting; now that I’ve finished, I’m certain not only that they’re alive, but also that we’ll see them in the sequel. If I had money, I would bet on it. I legit have a note on my phone full of textual evidence and theories.
This is unrelated to either Roma or Juliette; it’s just something I wanted to comment on. How the hell is annoying little Phoebe actually Priest??? You’re telling me a whiny, too cool for school wannabe socialite is the Communists’ best assassin??? Yeah, I know, that’s probably a cover to make sure no one guesses her identity, but still. I’m having a seriously hard time believing it, even if it would explain why Priest helped Rosalind, Orion and Alisa in the warehouse attack. I’m gonna need some convincing here, Chloe.
So, yeah. It pains me to give one of Chloe’s books less than five stars, but this just… didn’t do it for me. I had both high hopes and high expectations after reading and adoring the TVD books last year, and unfortunately, this fell flat. I’m still going to read the sequel though, partially out of curiosity, but mostly because I want to see Roma and Juliette again. 💁🏼💁🏼
Representation
It’s not that this was a bad book. It wasn’t. But it did lack the intrigue that drew me into and then kept me reading These Violent Delights. I guessed one of the major plot twists back in the first quarter of the book, and was just generally not as invested in the story or characters. The only one of the seven that I really liked was Alisa. Of the others, we barely saw Celia or Oliver, and I thought both Oliver and Phoebe were kind of annoying. I was mostly indifferent toward Rosalind and Orion—although Orion was, at least, occasionally amusing—and Silas just felt bland.
I couldn’t even get behind any of the ships. Silas and Phoebe had no chemistry. If we hadn’t been told that they liked each other, I wouldn’t have known. Oliver and Celia didn’t have nearly enough page time for me to get behind them. Honestly, I feel like both Silas and Celia could do better, sorry not sorry. As for Rosalind and Orion, I’ll admit that they had a few good scenes and some good banter, but for the most part, they just kind of felt… meh. I hate to say all of this, but it’s true. I know what Chloe can do with romance—I’ve seen it in Romette and in Benmars. I adore both of those couples and was hoping to feel similar love for these new ones, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. I do think that Rosaorion has the most potential for the sequel, though. Maybe I could still board that ship at some point. We’ll see.
My favorite part of the book was the tiny Benmars update we got in one of Alisa’s early chapters, and the most entertaining part was searching for clues as to whether or not Roma and Juliette are still alive. I already thought they were before starting; now that I’ve finished, I’m certain not only that they’re alive, but also that we’ll see them in the sequel. If I had money, I would bet on it. I legit have a note on my phone full of textual evidence and theories.
So, yeah. It pains me to give one of Chloe’s books less than five stars, but this just… didn’t do it for me. I had both high hopes and high expectations after reading and adoring the TVD books last year, and unfortunately, this fell flat. I’m still going to read the sequel though, partially out of curiosity, but mostly because I want to see Roma and Juliette again. 💁🏼💁🏼
Representation
- demisexual Chinese protagonist
- two bisexual Chinese protagonists
- trans MTF Chinese protagonist
- unlabeled queer Chinese protagonist
- Chinese protagonist
- aromantic asexual protagonist
- various Chinese and Japanese side characters
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Emotional and physical abuse are there regarding mentions of them in characters’ pasts. Additional content warning for human experimentation.jessicaludden's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
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? Yes
5.0
“You life is mine as mine is yours.”
This was everything I wanted it to be and more. I loved every single one of the characters. They were all so unique and complex, but I also loved the different pairings we got and the interactions between them. It’s actually impossible for me to pick a favorite character or favorite pairing. The plot was so engaging. It kept me on my toes. Every time I thought I knew what was about to happen, Chloe gave us plot twist after plot twist after plot twist. I loved all the politics. Keeping up with all of the groups, what they stood for, who was loyal to who, and who was undercover as what was so entertaining. Difficult? Yes, but so so worth it. Overall, if Chloe writes it, I read it. This was amazing.
This was everything I wanted it to be and more. I loved every single one of the characters. They were all so unique and complex, but I also loved the different pairings we got and the interactions between them. It’s actually impossible for me to pick a favorite character or favorite pairing. The plot was so engaging. It kept me on my toes. Every time I thought I knew what was about to happen, Chloe gave us plot twist after plot twist after plot twist. I loved all the politics. Keeping up with all of the groups, what they stood for, who was loyal to who, and who was undercover as what was so entertaining. Difficult? Yes, but so so worth it. Overall, if Chloe writes it, I read it. This was amazing.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Murder, and Abandonment
kat__z8's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- 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? No
4.25
MY GOODNESS. THIS BOOK.
I started off Foul Lady Fortune not expecting much because of my detachment from Rosalind in the previous duology, although I do admit I was curious when Chloe Gong said that this book features demisexual (Rosalind) and bisexual (Orion) MCs, aroace (Alisa) and bisexual (Phoebe) side characters. And of course, we have our iconic queen Celia Lang.
I have to say that although Roma-Juliette was amusing and fun to read, Rosalind-Orion kind of fell flat in comparison, which was why I struggled a bit with the first half of this book. I liked the side characters more. While Rosalind and Orion as individuals sort of rather dragged the plot a bit, the side characters kept me entertained until the end. I have this inexplicable pride watching Alisa all grown up and navigating the world with such confidence and self-assurance, and for Celia to find a place and people she felt she belonged. It was also fun to see Phoebe and Orion's sibling dynamic.
As before, I loved Chloe's descriptions of Shanghai, and also how she described some of the feelings. However, the writing in FLF lacked the emotional grip that was present especially in Our Violent Ends. I'm willing to overlook it as the writing flowed quite smoothly and it was relatively easy to get invested with the story and plot. The last half of this book was especially fun, with many events and twists unfolding. I see a similar pattern of the characters arc and a major cliffhanger in the end to set up the stage for the second book that's also similar to TVD, and if the sequel of FLF is as good as OVE, I'm sure I'll love it and I have faith that Chloe Gong wouldn't disappoint.
I started off Foul Lady Fortune not expecting much because of my detachment from Rosalind in the previous duology, although I do admit I was curious when Chloe Gong said that this book features demisexual (Rosalind) and bisexual (Orion) MCs, aroace (Alisa) and bisexual (Phoebe) side characters. And of course, we have our iconic queen Celia Lang.
I have to say that although Roma-Juliette was amusing and fun to read, Rosalind-Orion kind of fell flat in comparison, which was why I struggled a bit with the first half of this book. I liked the side characters more. While Rosalind and Orion as individuals sort of rather dragged the plot a bit, the side characters kept me entertained until the end. I have this inexplicable pride watching Alisa all grown up and navigating the world with such confidence and self-assurance, and for Celia to find a place and people she felt she belonged. It was also fun to see Phoebe and Orion's sibling dynamic.
As before, I loved Chloe's descriptions of Shanghai, and also how she described some of the feelings. However, the writing in FLF lacked the emotional grip that was present especially in Our Violent Ends. I'm willing to overlook it as the writing flowed quite smoothly and it was relatively easy to get invested with the story and plot. The last half of this book was especially fun, with many events and twists unfolding. I see a similar pattern of the characters arc and a major cliffhanger in the end to set up the stage for the second book that's also similar to TVD, and if the sequel of FLF is as good as OVE, I'm sure I'll love it and I have faith that Chloe Gong wouldn't disappoint.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, and Colonisation