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_azure76's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Cursing, Death, Gore, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Murder
jessiereads98's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book is decent to fine. I enjoyed the story and characters well enough that I’ll probably pick up the sequel if I remember. I do wish it had been rooted more firmly in the time period in terms of the vibes of the 1930s and with more references to the dance halls of that era or the decor or fashions. I think I probably would’ve enjoyed this more had I read the Violent Delights duet prior to going into this for more context and world building but I didn’t realize that would be necessary. I also found this very tropey to the extent I was rolling my eyes at moments that were so obviously inserted in order to fulfill a trope. The characters all also seemed to act very young compared to their age. The timeline seemed to me like while yes Rosalind was frozen at 19, all the older characters at this point would be in their early to mid 20s but were all acting like they were still 17-19. While I didn’t entirely expect the solution to the main mystery, the final reveal of the book was very predictable.
UPDATE: I read the These Violent Delights duology then read this again. It is better after reading that. However, I still feel that the setting and atmosphere in this book are lacking, even in comparison to the These Violent Delights duology. It seemed like Chloe Gong decided that rather than expanding on that, and the changing political climate, she would handwave world-building for this one. The tropeyness irked me less on reread. The characters do still read a little young for what their ages seem to be, but not as harshly as I originally thought. It especially makes sense when these are young people caught up in large, shifting politics and underworlds, and that’s a theme Chloe Gong is clearly exploring in both duologies.
UPDATE: I read the These Violent Delights duology then read this again. It is better after reading that. However, I still feel that the setting and atmosphere in this book are lacking, even in comparison to the These Violent Delights duology. It seemed like Chloe Gong decided that rather than expanding on that, and the changing political climate, she would handwave world-building for this one. The tropeyness irked me less on reread. The characters do still read a little young for what their ages seem to be, but not as harshly as I originally thought. It especially makes sense when these are young people caught up in large, shifting politics and underworlds, and that’s a theme Chloe Gong is clearly exploring in both duologies.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Colonisation, Drug use, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Abandonment, Body horror, Classism, Confinement, Death, Grief, Torture, Transphobia, and War
btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition
dark
funny
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Medical trauma, Blood, Body horror, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Medical content, Torture, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, and Self harm
Moderate: Murder, Car accident, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Drug use and Kidnapping
moonlitreading_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.25
“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.”
Miss Gong has done it again!!! I loved this book so much. An assassin and a spy working together while pretending to be a married couple??? I knew I was going to eat it up!!!
I wasn't really fond of Rosalind at first but as I continued to read Foul Lady Fortune I’d grown attached to her. The rest of the characters, I liked. I missed Celia and Alisa so much, the former being one of my favorite characters from TVD duology. The new characters were an interesting addition to the mix especially the Hong siblings. I wonder how the three siblings’ relationship with each other plays out in the next book.
I had so much fun reading this book!!! It was thrilling and sad. I wanted to wrap Rosalind and Orion into a big hug they’re my babies.
Also, the Hong brothers were so smooth???? The Lang sisters are in trouble fr
Miss Gong has done it again!!! I loved this book so much. An assassin and a spy working together while pretending to be a married couple??? I knew I was going to eat it up!!!
I wasn't really fond of Rosalind at first but as I continued to read Foul Lady Fortune I’d grown attached to her. The rest of the characters, I liked. I missed Celia and Alisa so much, the former being one of my favorite characters from TVD duology. The new characters were an interesting addition to the mix especially the Hong siblings. I wonder how the three siblings’ relationship with each other plays out in the next book.
I had so much fun reading this book!!! It was thrilling and sad. I wanted to wrap Rosalind and Orion into a big hug they’re my babies.
Also, the Hong brothers were so smooth???? The Lang sisters are in trouble fr
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Violence, and Gun violence
greymalkin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I really wanted to love this, I love assassins and spies and interesting potentially-supernatural plots. But alas it didn't quite work for me. While I could forgive Rosalind for being a terrible spy, Orion was even worse than her and he _was_ a spy. And for an assassin she was incredibly bad at tracking people's movements and positioning and body language, all things that you'd think you'd need to know if you are a poisoner assassin. If you're a sniper, you have distance and can focus on angles of shots and such, but if you're up close and personal, you need to know what the person drinks and when and who they'd trust to give them food or drink. Or you have to know if they are wearing thick clothing that your hairpin can go through or if they'll move defensively in a way where you can scratch their skin... sigh. I spent the whole book wishing I could spend the time with Analisa and Phoebe instead, they were at least engaged with their lives. I am pleased about who Priest ended up being, if only because I guessed it from early on and was hopeful it would actually play out that way.
I found the plot and tracking of who got which info where extremely muddled, which made it hard for the twists and reveals to have much impact because half the time I was thinking "did I not put that together or did the author just not tell me?" which is not very satisfying.
The chemistry between Rosalind and Orion was not the worst but it wasn't exactly compelling either. It was more a "you're very hot" lust than any likemindedness of love or devotion. Which would have been fine except for how the ending hinged so much on his love for Rosalind overcoming his programming. I didn't buy that.
I did enjoy the history and cultural details, especially the bits with "Chinese names" and "Western names" which made the Romeo and Juliet stuff easier to understand.
Though dear god please some editor suggest the author include some other article of clothing for them to wear other than a qipao. There were so many references to it that it got distracting. Even just a few references to an "outfit" or "green fabric" or SOMETHING. Surely that wasn't the only article of clothing ever worn by anyone in that time period in Shanghai?? And if it was, then at least describe them differently? I know the fabrics and cut and embroidery and hand details would make a difference!
I found the plot and tracking of who got which info where extremely muddled, which made it hard for the twists and reveals to have much impact because half the time I was thinking "did I not put that together or did the author just not tell me?" which is not very satisfying.
The chemistry between Rosalind and Orion was not the worst but it wasn't exactly compelling either. It was more a "you're very hot" lust than any likemindedness of love or devotion. Which would have been fine except for how the ending hinged so much on his love for Rosalind overcoming his programming. I didn't buy that.
I did enjoy the history and cultural details, especially the bits with "Chinese names" and "Western names" which made the Romeo and Juliet stuff easier to understand.
Though dear god please some editor suggest the author include some other article of clothing for them to wear other than a qipao. There were so many references to it that it got distracting. Even just a few references to an "outfit" or "green fabric" or SOMETHING. Surely that wasn't the only article of clothing ever worn by anyone in that time period in Shanghai?? And if it was, then at least describe them differently? I know the fabrics and cut and embroidery and hand details would make a difference!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Violence
Moderate: Death, Racism, and Classism
Minor: War
booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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
5.0
I loved every minute of FOUL LADY FORTUNE. The narration is a perfect blend of banter and introspection, with each character deep in their own plans and intrigues, punctuated by moments of tension and violence as death stalks Shanghai.
The worldbuilding is a mix of new details and brief references to relevant events in the earlier duology. There’s just enough detail to provide some updates on characters from THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS and OUR VIOLENT ENDS who don’t appear in FOUL LADY FORTUNE, without spoiling too many events from before. There are enough characters for the cast to feel full, but the focus stays on each narrator long enough to be immersive in their perspective before showing a different set of events. Rosalind and Orion's relationship in particular looks very different from each of their viewpoints, with Orion bemusedly accepting how hard he's fallen for Rosalind (without even knowing her name isn't Janie).
The resolution of the mystery creates a satisfying end point to the novel while also setting up what promises to be a fascinating sequel. I'm very excited to read what comes next.
*Updating with the sequel check now that this has been recharacterized as the third book in a series rather than the first in a duology.
As the third book in a series, FOUL LADY FORTUNE builds on events in the first two books by following Rosalind Lang after her earlier intrigues and betrayal. She is functionally immortal and generally impervious, physically stuck at nineteen, even as the rest of the world moves on. She's been using her talents as an assassin, but now is ordered to team up with Orion on a spy mission, all while pretending to be someone else who's pretending to be someone else, none of whom are herself, Rosalind Lang. It wraps up some things left hanging, with details about what happened to some characters from the first two books, as well as specifically showing what Rosalind, Alisa, and Celia are up to. There's a new storyline which can mostly stand alone (so much that this was originally listed as the first book in a duology), related to a series of attacks in the city, and the spy mission for Rosalind and Orion. There are several major things introduced, but generally there's more information about them without completely resolving them (as the next book is expected to do so). This isn't the last book and it ends with some very specific things left for later.
Enough of the story might make sense on its own for someone to have a good reading experience if they start here without having read THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS nor OUR VIOLENT ENDS, but the experience will be more meaningful if this is treated as the third book in a series.
The worldbuilding is a mix of new details and brief references to relevant events in the earlier duology. There’s just enough detail to provide some updates on characters from THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS and OUR VIOLENT ENDS who don’t appear in FOUL LADY FORTUNE, without spoiling too many events from before. There are enough characters for the cast to feel full, but the focus stays on each narrator long enough to be immersive in their perspective before showing a different set of events. Rosalind and Orion's relationship in particular looks very different from each of their viewpoints, with Orion bemusedly accepting how hard he's fallen for Rosalind (without even knowing her name isn't Janie).
The resolution of the mystery creates a satisfying end point to the novel while also setting up what promises to be a fascinating sequel. I'm very excited to read what comes next.
*Updating with the sequel check now that this has been recharacterized as the third book in a series rather than the first in a duology.
As the third book in a series, FOUL LADY FORTUNE builds on events in the first two books by following Rosalind Lang after her earlier intrigues and betrayal. She is functionally immortal and generally impervious, physically stuck at nineteen, even as the rest of the world moves on. She's been using her talents as an assassin, but now is ordered to team up with Orion on a spy mission, all while pretending to be someone else who's pretending to be someone else, none of whom are herself, Rosalind Lang. It wraps up some things left hanging, with details about what happened to some characters from the first two books, as well as specifically showing what Rosalind, Alisa, and Celia are up to. There's a new storyline which can mostly stand alone (so much that this was originally listed as the first book in a duology), related to a series of attacks in the city, and the spy mission for Rosalind and Orion. There are several major things introduced, but generally there's more information about them without completely resolving them (as the next book is expected to do so). This isn't the last book and it ends with some very specific things left for later.
Enough of the story might make sense on its own for someone to have a good reading experience if they start here without having read THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS nor OUR VIOLENT ENDS, but the experience will be more meaningful if this is treated as the third book in a series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Gun violence, Xenophobia, Confinement, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Transphobia, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Torture
scrubsandbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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
I was absolutely thrilled to return to this world after finishing the TVD duology. I felt like there was more of a political/historical plot in this one than the first series which is no complaint at all. Loved reading of Rosalind and her inner turmoils, her fake relationship with Orion, and Celia's own storyline. It has a cliffhanger ending but I am absolutely stoked for the next book which thankfully will be out within two weeks!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: War and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Transphobia
bailey63's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Xenophobia, Murder, and Medical trauma
Minor: Car accident, Grief, Colonisation, Death, Confinement, Drug use, and Panic attacks/disorders
theliterarymess's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
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
If Chloe Gong has 1000 fans then I am one of them. If Chloe Gong has 1 fan then it is me. I Chloe Gong has no fans then I am dead.
I really appreciated a deeper insight into Rosalind, the reasons for her actions in These Violent Delights and the way she thinks she has to redeem herself after.
Sometimes it was hard to keep up with code names and loyalties, but that was exactly how it was back then! And after that epilogue I don’t know what to think about Phoebe.
As much as I love Roma and Juliette, in this book I felt that there were a lot more moments of chemistry between Rosalind and Orion, though possibly because in this book we got to see them meet and fall for one another despite their mistrust, whereas Roma and Juliette were already in love.
I was so scared I wouldn’t enjoy this book as much as the These Violent Delights duology, but Chloe Gong goes above and beyond every time. I love the Secret Shanghai secrets. I love every moment and every character that comes into play.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, War, and Violence
Moderate: Murder and Blood
Minor: Medical trauma and Child abuse
mousmoulo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
other than that i enjoyed this book so much AND I'M SO HYPED FOR LAST VIOLENT CALL NOW
miss chloe is officially one of my favourite authors i think >:)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence and Murder
Minor: War
also: injections/syringes