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matilda_holroyd_'s review against another edition
adventurous
informative
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? Yes
5.0
Stunning a story of great spender Chloe Gong you’ve hooked me in and I’m here for good.
This story is about 2 spies who are forced into working a mission together posing as a married couple to try and discover who is behind Shanghai’s chemical killings. This book is based in true Chinese events fictionalised for the readers pleasure. It’s a fantastic idea and Gong’s execution of prose topped my wildest expectations. Honestly adored this and will be picking up all future work.
“He had gone beyond getting attached to her. She was his guiding saint, the polaris of his heart.”
This story is about 2 spies who are forced into working a mission together posing as a married couple to try and discover who is behind Shanghai’s chemical killings. This book is based in true Chinese events fictionalised for the readers pleasure. It’s a fantastic idea and Gong’s execution of prose topped my wildest expectations. Honestly adored this and will be picking up all future work.
“He had gone beyond getting attached to her. She was his guiding saint, the polaris of his heart.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Drug use
Moderate: War and Colonisation
maiadunleavy's review against another edition
emotional
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Gun violence
Moderate: Colonisation and War
Minor: War
thefebruaryfriday's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, and Violence
boomwormbrittany's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
5.0
Foul Lady Fortune is the first book in a new duology from Chloe Gong set in 1930's Shanghai. This follows Rosalind Lang who is an assassin that is assigned a top secret mission with another spy named Orian. They are fake married to infiltrate and try to bring down the people who are invading their country and stop a killer in Shanghai.
Chloe Gong is definitely a favorite author of mine and I will definitely be auto-buying all her books from now on. I was not a huge fan of Rosalind in Chloe's other series but she made me LOVE her in this book so much. I wasn't sure if Chloe would make me like her but she made me absolutely adore her and Orian.
The characters in this was so well done. I could tell that Chloe Gong does so much character work before she goes into her books because she knows so many aspects of her own characters. In the previous series, I knew Rosalind but hadn't really fully known her. Meeting her in this book and seeing how much she changed was so refreshing and I loved how Chloe Gong had the character take accountability for her actions in the previous books. I just adored Orian. He was so funny and sweet and I really loved how he and Rosalind interacted together.
The plot was, of course, amazing. I'm not sure how Chloe Gong holds all these amazing twists and turns in her head but I am so glad she does. This book had me on the edge of my seat and when I thought that I had everything figured out, I would find out I was so wrong. I could see the seeds of things that I had missed when I reached the end and was blown away.
As always, the writing was just superb. I love how Chloe Gong tells her stories in a way that is so easy to connect to and how complex they are. Her writing is just a master class.
Overall, I loved this book. I am so happy that I finally got to read it and it made me even more excited for not only the second book and the novella books but also Immortal Longings.
Chloe Gong is definitely a favorite author of mine and I will definitely be auto-buying all her books from now on. I was not a huge fan of Rosalind in Chloe's other series but she made me LOVE her in this book so much. I wasn't sure if Chloe would make me like her but she made me absolutely adore her and Orian.
The characters in this was so well done. I could tell that Chloe Gong does so much character work before she goes into her books because she knows so many aspects of her own characters. In the previous series, I knew Rosalind but hadn't really fully known her. Meeting her in this book and seeing how much she changed was so refreshing and I loved how Chloe Gong had the character take accountability for her actions in the previous books. I just adored Orian. He was so funny and sweet and I really loved how he and Rosalind interacted together.
The plot was, of course, amazing. I'm not sure how Chloe Gong holds all these amazing twists and turns in her head but I am so glad she does. This book had me on the edge of my seat and when I thought that I had everything figured out, I would find out I was so wrong. I could see the seeds of things that I had missed when I reached the end and was blown away.
As always, the writing was just superb. I love how Chloe Gong tells her stories in a way that is so easy to connect to and how complex they are. Her writing is just a master class.
Overall, I loved this book. I am so happy that I finally got to read it and it made me even more excited for not only the second book and the novella books but also Immortal Longings.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
brynn_books's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
4.5
Despite this book taking me 3 months to get through, I really enjoyed it! I think the beginning was a little slow for me. It took me a while to fully become invested in this story. One of my favorite things about this book is the setting. 1930s Shanghai has such an interesting feel to it. With the way Chloe Gong writes, I felt like I was immediately transported into this world.
Rosalind wasn’t my favorite character in the tvd duology, but I absolutely loved her in this book. I also completely fell in love with Orion Hong. Their dynamic was everything to me in this story and it was so fun for me to read. I loved getting to read about Rosalind’s character development. It’s interesting to learn about things from her perspective and learn more about why she did what she did.
Chloe Gong has a way of always completely surprising me with the plot twists. No matter who I suspected of being the killer, nothing could have prepared me for this. It was just so unexpected and it completely blew me away. I was also completely shocked by the epilogue. I did not see that coming. How am I supposed to live my life now? I’m going to need the sequel as soon as possible!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Murder
floreadsbooks2's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Blood, Violence, Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Gun violence
Minor: War
lqvekanej's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-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
5.0
What a beautifully written first read of the year. Chloe continues to be the master of plottwists and surprises that I never saw coming. Everything about this book is so beautifully written, I would reread it over and over.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Gun violence, Drug use, and Violence
Minor: Transphobia
esme_t's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Abandonment, Gun violence, and Gore
Minor: Transphobia and Blood
caidyn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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? Yes
4.5
Damn, what a fantastic read. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and now I just need the sequel. And the reveal??? Amazing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gun violence, Murder, and Violence
clarelisabeth's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
She is the moment, stunning, perfect
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Torture