Reviews with content warning for Violence - Foul Lady Fortune

I met Chloe Gong in October 2022 and got to hear her discuss this book then. Fast forward to January, my mom and I started reading it. Due to busy schedules on both ends, we rarely read any. But now on summer break, we knocked it out!!

This book was amazing!!! I love Chloe Gong’s writing especially her use of imagery. She also makes her characters so charming and lovable. The little Taylor Swift references throughout were as some would say enchanting, hehe!!

I cannot wait for Foul Heart Huntsman!!

Orion and Rosalind …. I LOVE THEM!!! I loved their gradual love story. Chloe Gong, no words for that cliffhanger :/

Oliver was sus to me the whole time

Love Alisa and her getting some badass moments!!!

I did not expect who was the killer, behind the chemical experiments, Priest’s identity, and Dao Feng’a betrayal!!! I am still shook. I went back to read the beginning of the book and it was foreshadowed though.

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aklovekorn's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious 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? No

4.5

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julierambaeck's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious 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? No

4.0

I really liked this one, and I love the world. The representation in this is also amazing, and I really love the characters, and how they put aside their differences to fight a mutual enemy.
The twist I did not see coming. I love the way Gong builds atmosphere and creates relationships!

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vagorsol's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

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hannahcomer4d's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.25

This book was such a fun romp through a time period and place I know very little about. I enjoyed the characters, the pacing, and the themes. It's not just a spy thriller--it goes beyond the mission and into the reasons *why* people are making the choices they are.

A couple of downsides:

I wanted more Shakespeare references. So little related to *As You Like It* that it almost felt unnecessary to link the two stories.

Priest was built up as this big deal of a character, but then Priest seemed completely uninvolved in the plot. Did Priest ever really do much of anything?

Both of these things, though, could be easily resolved in the sequel. I'm eagerly awaiting more!

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jayisreading's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

3.5

Chloe Gong returns with a new story in the same world as These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends, this time focusing on Rosalind Lang, the cousin of Juliette Cai. Unfortunately, I was not particularly invested in Foul Lady Fortune, though I didn’t feel that it was a slog to get through the book either due to good pacing (for the most part). I found that the plot and characters were fairly predictable (with one or two exceptions) because of Gong’s overuse of tropes. There’s nothing wrong with using them, of course, but I felt like there were a few too many that made this book a little boring for me. In addition, the way she structured the plot felt a little too similar to the previous books, right down to the politics (though I felt it was somewhat better handled in Foul Lady Fortune). I think if she fleshed the politics out a bit more and the characters’ involvement with different parties, it would have made the book a lot stronger and possibly less riddled with clichés.

I’m not sure if I want to read the next installment or not. On the one hand, I do want to see where Gong will take the story due to a couple plot twists. On the other hand, I’m not sure if I can handle another book full of tropes. I may actually have to pay attention to others’ reviews for once to make my decision.

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jenny_librarian's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

These books are heavy on the political, but SO good! I love how Chloe Gong can drop us in the middle of early-20th century China and make us feel how it is while keeping up with incredibly diverse characters (a rarity in historical novels) and unraveling plots that involve tiny bits of fantasy elements.

I was surprised by most of the revelations in this book. There were enough red-herrings that I was led astray until the very end, yet it made almost perfect sense. Almost, because I’m still not 100% sure about Priest.

The only reason I’m not giving this 5 stars (apart from the Priest thing) is that there wasn’t enough of Oliver/Celia for me, and that the short story at the end didn’t feel like much explanation.

Again, I’ll be looking forward to the next release in this incredible series. In the meantime, I’ll just have to read the short stories (which are also absolutely GORGEOUS! All those books are so pretty 😍) and catch up with other favourite characters.

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