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ghostsversion's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.5
I… I have no words. I mean I won’t go so far as to say this was perfect but then again compared to the other duology this was such an improvement (no hate to the OG gang). Honestly I think I liked the fact we weren’t infodumped as much as before. Like, there was actually some build-up to the ending, in my opinion at least. Also spies (cue to the theme from “Spies are Forever”). And the main couple were also much more interesting to me, as their romance was developed with the story. So yeah now I am very excited to continue this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Alcohol, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Car accident, Blood, Grief, Confinement, Medical content, and Violence
Moderate: Drug use and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Biphobia
emilywemily6's review against another edition
hopeful
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
5.0
Chloe Gong does it again. This book was such a joy to read and did not feel like an 18 hour read. While I predicted a few things that the characters learned throughout the book, but there were so many plot twists and so many details that were woven together expertly. While Rosalind didn’t seem like a good spy, I understand why she had a hard time with that. I loved the deeper motivations of these characters and the large cast of characters in general. I am so excited to see what happens in the next book!! I’m so glad that it’s already come out, I will be starting it asap.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War, Murder, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Grief and Medical content
Minor: Child death, Cursing, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Alcohol
karcitis's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gore, Colonisation, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, and Death
Minor: Homophobia, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Transphobia, and Car accident
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: Blood, Murder, Torture, War, Drug use, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Colonisation, Gun violence, Medical content, Classism, and Death
Moderate: Alcohol, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Kidnapping
Minor: Cursing, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, and Child death
rachrreads's review against another edition
adventurous
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? It's complicated
4.0
I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
If you haven’t read These Violent Delights & Our Violent Ends look away. Small spoilers ahead for the prior duology.
PREMISE
Rosalind Lang was saved from death, but the cure changed her. Now Rosalind is able to heal instantly to any wound, making her virtually immortal. The downside? She does not age anymore, making her 17 for the rest of her life. Turning to the Nationalists after the disaster with Dmitri Voronin, Rosalind is now an assassin. Code name Fortune.
There have been a recent slew of murders, all seeming to be chemically induced and all seems to be pointing towards a Japanese company. Rosalind (known now as Janie Mead) has been tasked with infiltrating the company alongside another agent— Orion Hong. Orion is the middle child of a Nationalist general and a Nationalist spy in their covert division. Hiding amongst the elites and extracting information easily in plain site.
The two are ready for the mission— the only catch? They have to pretend to be married, which means sharing Rosalind’s apartment. The two go undercover as Mr. and Mrs. Mu in order to find information on these chemical killings without arising suspicions.
TROPES
If you know me, you know by now I am a SUCKER for fake dating/fake relationships. This book does this trope justice (but when have I ever hated a fake dating book?).
Other tropes— one bed, caretaking while sick, mutual pining, grumpy/sunshine.
CHARACTERS
Rosalind Lang AKA Janie Mead
Who would’ve thought I would grow to love her? After the events of the previous duology, I was so upset to learn she was getting her own series. She betrayed her family!! But I really grew to like Rosalind during this first book.
She really struggles to accept any love or kindness and has a ton of guilt she is holding onto— which is to be expected after everything she went through with Dmitri Voronin. On top of that she feels as if she has to be a savior to atone for all her past sins. This is part of the reason she joins the Nationalists as an assassin is so she can rid the world of evil.
One thing I am confused on in her development as a character is that Rosalind was very flirty and fun in the TVD duology and now she seems to have turned into a Juliette 2.0. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVED it, but I would have liked to see more reasoning behind this development other than she almost died and is now an assassin. All of a sudden she’s a grumpy gal with secrets and a love of poison. It just seemed very abrupt at the beginning of the book. Although I do like that Chloe Gong showed Rosalind didn’t have much of an allegiance to the Nationalist party and really she was just with them because they were willing to welcome her in. All Rosalind ever wanted was to fit in
Orion Hong
I wish we got more detail from his background and perspective of things. So far a lot of the stuff we learned about his background was superficial (minus a few things that I will not go into due to spoilers). I am hoping we get more from this in the next book. Maybe even more of his POV or some flashbacks.
I like that he was always in a good mood. It is nice to see a sunshine boy and grumpy gal pairing, but as I mentioned before a lot of his character was pretty surface level. He is portrayed as a player and I am sure part of that is so he does not have to let others in after what he has experienced, but I hope Chloe dives deeper into his character. There is a bunch of potential with all the cute one-liners he delivered while “faking” his marriage with Janie.
Also I freaking love the word beloved now.
Celia Lang
While I loved Celia in the original trilogy I found her chapters lacking. There was not enough depth to them and I really wanted more from her POV. They were also really freaking boring up until the end when things were beginning to take shape with the plot. I hope we get more from her in the next book.
She has joined the Communist’s as a spy and I love the whole siblings on opposite sides thing. Again, I do not think she has much loyalty to them as she does her sister.
Oliver Hong
I really do not care much for him. As a THG stan he is very much giving Gale Hawthorne and I do not like it. I really hope the next book proves me wrong though. He also has ruined the word sweetheart for me. I cannot.
He is also a Communist spy with Celia. I will not go into too much detail past that as too avoid spoilers.
Alisa Montogova
Alisa was one of my favorite background characters in TVD/OVE and I was so disappointed when I found out she was not the main focus of this duology. She has been through so much after the events of the original duology and is all alone in the world. She too defected to the Communist side, likely due to her affiliation as a White Flower.
Also I love that Chloe has confirmed she is aromantic and asexual and even put those clues into this book. I really want more from her in the coming book and it seems like she will play a big role in the next one…
Phoebe Hong
Youngest sibling of Orion and Oliver. She really loves to have fun. Her brothers, and the rest of the world, definitely underestimate her. Throughout the book she throws herself into the fray, despite not being a spy. I love how she always gets Silas in on it too.
Silas
Family friend and best friend of Orion. He has been in love with Phoebe his whole life and would do anything for her. A Nationalist spy gathering surveillance information and backing up Orion and Rosalind in their current mission.
THE ROMANCE
The tension between Rosalind and Orion was *chefs kiss*. Chloe Gong KNOWS how to do romance and this is definitely a strength of hers. The set up of having to trust each other with your life but also having secrets to hide since you’re spies? SIGN ME UP.
There are a few scenes that were quite memorable— car chase, after hours in the office, and of course one at the very end I will not even tease at. JUST IMMACULATE ROMANCE AND TENSION.
For Taylor Swift fans, there is an invisible string reference that had me SCREAMING.
THE PLOT
I was hoping when I read that the two mains were a spy and an assassin that I would get more action, but I felt this part greatly lacking. The front half of the book severely dragged and I definitely could have used more action as Chloe set up the stage for the big twist.
Another thing I struggled with was the whole Communist and Nationalist plot. I am so glad Chloe brings this kind of political context into her books, but everything was very confusing and hard to follow as a reader. I struggled to know what each side really wanted with the Japanese trying to invade Shanghai as well. Maybe this is just due to my lack of knowledge with history, but I wish this was better woven into the story.
Also there was one thing within the plot I found very lazy and too convenient, but will hold onto as it could be seen as a spoiler.
Although I struggled with the first half of the book, it really began to pick up in the second half. One thing Chloe knows how to do and do well is a plot twist you don’t see coming. I actually gasped out loud when the big twist was revealed. I had many theories while reading but none of them were what actually happened. The end leaves the reader ready for book 2 (and screaming at Chloe for doing this to us)!!
Another thing I would like to point out is this reads more historical fiction than fantasy to me. The only thing that really makes this fantasy is the fact that Rosalind has some special powers.
No context spoiler
There was a very Fourtris-esque scene (Divergent fans where you at?) in the book that made me scream. It made my 2014 Fourtris stan heart both happy and frustrated. There was also an Everlark scene as well which had me squealing.
Finally, The EASTER EGGS that were left from the original trilogy. I will not go into detail but there were some lovely hints in there that will make fans very happy.
If you haven’t read These Violent Delights & Our Violent Ends look away. Small spoilers ahead for the prior duology.
PREMISE
Rosalind Lang was saved from death, but the cure changed her. Now Rosalind is able to heal instantly to any wound, making her virtually immortal. The downside? She does not age anymore, making her 17 for the rest of her life. Turning to the Nationalists after the disaster with Dmitri Voronin, Rosalind is now an assassin. Code name Fortune.
There have been a recent slew of murders, all seeming to be chemically induced and all seems to be pointing towards a Japanese company. Rosalind (known now as Janie Mead) has been tasked with infiltrating the company alongside another agent— Orion Hong. Orion is the middle child of a Nationalist general and a Nationalist spy in their covert division. Hiding amongst the elites and extracting information easily in plain site.
The two are ready for the mission— the only catch? They have to pretend to be married, which means sharing Rosalind’s apartment. The two go undercover as Mr. and Mrs. Mu in order to find information on these chemical killings without arising suspicions.
TROPES
If you know me, you know by now I am a SUCKER for fake dating/fake relationships. This book does this trope justice (but when have I ever hated a fake dating book?).
Other tropes— one bed, caretaking while sick, mutual pining, grumpy/sunshine.
CHARACTERS
Rosalind Lang AKA Janie Mead
Who would’ve thought I would grow to love her? After the events of the previous duology, I was so upset to learn she was getting her own series. She betrayed her family!! But I really grew to like Rosalind during this first book.
She really struggles to accept any love or kindness and has a ton of guilt she is holding onto— which is to be expected after everything she went through with Dmitri Voronin. On top of that she feels as if she has to be a savior to atone for all her past sins. This is part of the reason she joins the Nationalists as an assassin is so she can rid the world of evil.
One thing I am confused on in her development as a character is that Rosalind was very flirty and fun in the TVD duology and now she seems to have turned into a Juliette 2.0. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVED it, but I would have liked to see more reasoning behind this development other than she almost died and is now an assassin. All of a sudden she’s a grumpy gal with secrets and a love of poison. It just seemed very abrupt at the beginning of the book. Although I do like that Chloe Gong showed Rosalind didn’t have much of an allegiance to the Nationalist party and really she was just with them because they were willing to welcome her in. All Rosalind ever wanted was to fit in
Orion Hong
I wish we got more detail from his background and perspective of things. So far a lot of the stuff we learned about his background was superficial (minus a few things that I will not go into due to spoilers). I am hoping we get more from this in the next book. Maybe even more of his POV or some flashbacks.
I like that he was always in a good mood. It is nice to see a sunshine boy and grumpy gal pairing, but as I mentioned before a lot of his character was pretty surface level. He is portrayed as a player and I am sure part of that is so he does not have to let others in after what he has experienced, but I hope Chloe dives deeper into his character. There is a bunch of potential with all the cute one-liners he delivered while “faking” his marriage with Janie.
Also I freaking love the word beloved now.
Celia Lang
While I loved Celia in the original trilogy I found her chapters lacking. There was not enough depth to them and I really wanted more from her POV. They were also really freaking boring up until the end when things were beginning to take shape with the plot. I hope we get more from her in the next book.
She has joined the Communist’s as a spy and I love the whole siblings on opposite sides thing. Again, I do not think she has much loyalty to them as she does her sister.
Oliver Hong
I really do not care much for him. As a THG stan he is very much giving Gale Hawthorne and I do not like it. I really hope the next book proves me wrong though. He also has ruined the word sweetheart for me. I cannot.
He is also a Communist spy with Celia. I will not go into too much detail past that as too avoid spoilers.
Alisa Montogova
Alisa was one of my favorite background characters in TVD/OVE and I was so disappointed when I found out she was not the main focus of this duology. She has been through so much after the events of the original duology and is all alone in the world. She too defected to the Communist side, likely due to her affiliation as a White Flower.
Also I love that Chloe has confirmed she is aromantic and asexual and even put those clues into this book. I really want more from her in the coming book and it seems like she will play a big role in the next one…
Phoebe Hong
Youngest sibling of Orion and Oliver. She really loves to have fun. Her brothers, and the rest of the world, definitely underestimate her. Throughout the book she throws herself into the fray, despite not being a spy. I love how she always gets Silas in on it too.
Silas
Family friend and best friend of Orion. He has been in love with Phoebe his whole life and would do anything for her. A Nationalist spy gathering surveillance information and backing up Orion and Rosalind in their current mission.
THE ROMANCE
The tension between Rosalind and Orion was *chefs kiss*. Chloe Gong KNOWS how to do romance and this is definitely a strength of hers. The set up of having to trust each other with your life but also having secrets to hide since you’re spies? SIGN ME UP.
There are a few scenes that were quite memorable— car chase, after hours in the office, and of course one at the very end I will not even tease at. JUST IMMACULATE ROMANCE AND TENSION.
For Taylor Swift fans, there is an invisible string reference that had me SCREAMING.
THE PLOT
I was hoping when I read that the two mains were a spy and an assassin that I would get more action, but I felt this part greatly lacking. The front half of the book severely dragged and I definitely could have used more action as Chloe set up the stage for the big twist.
Another thing I struggled with was the whole Communist and Nationalist plot. I am so glad Chloe brings this kind of political context into her books, but everything was very confusing and hard to follow as a reader. I struggled to know what each side really wanted with the Japanese trying to invade Shanghai as well. Maybe this is just due to my lack of knowledge with history, but I wish this was better woven into the story.
Also there was one thing within the plot I found very lazy and too convenient, but will hold onto as it could be seen as a spoiler.
Although I struggled with the first half of the book, it really began to pick up in the second half. One thing Chloe knows how to do and do well is a plot twist you don’t see coming. I actually gasped out loud when the big twist was revealed. I had many theories while reading but none of them were what actually happened. The end leaves the reader ready for book 2 (and screaming at Chloe for doing this to us)!!
Another thing I would like to point out is this reads more historical fiction than fantasy to me. The only thing that really makes this fantasy is the fact that Rosalind has some special powers.
No context spoiler
There was a very Fourtris-esque scene (Divergent fans where you at?) in the book that made me scream. It made my 2014 Fourtris stan heart both happy and frustrated. There was also an Everlark scene as well which had me squealing.
Finally, The EASTER EGGS that were left from the original trilogy. I will not go into detail but there were some lovely hints in there that will make fans very happy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Alcohol, Medical trauma, Murder, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Gun violence, and War
Minor: Child death
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