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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
just couldn’t get into it, i didn’t care about the characters or the plot. it was interesting, but just couldn’t hold my attention
It just wasn’t grabbing me, both in the writing style, narrator, and characters
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was HOOKED into this story! Rival family gangs, a Romeo and Juliet retelling, a mysterious illness sweeping the streets forcing two rivals once lovers to work together… CINEMA! The tension could have been sliced with a butter knife. I thoroughly enjoyed this and could not put it down, and now I’m itching to know how this duology ends!
Loved it! The writing style, the characters, the setting, the plot… just *chefs kiss*
It’s 4.5 stars for me - so poignant and beautiful ❤️
It’s 4.5 stars for me - so poignant and beautiful ❤️
adventurous
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:
Complicated
"Memories were beastly little creatures, after all - they rose with the faintest whiff of nourishment."
These Violent Delights takes you on a grimly journey through 1920's Shanghai - with a fantasy twist to it. Its intrigue is filled with political and cultural endeavours, with its main theme being a dangerous chase after a mysterious monster.
Many other deals decorate the narrative well: the true cost of colonization and globalization, the widespread tool of different political and gang parties or/and the never-ending, always griping tension between rival gangs. Surprisingly, these were the most interesting parts. Chloe Gong masterfully knitted all these in a sole book, never making the change too confusing.
As for our characters, I liked that, although it's beyond obvious our mains are Juliette and Roma, we had many povs coming from people in each side. It was intriguing to have new perspectives, and very much needed when the romance was so lacklustre.
I loved Juliette's fierceness and watchful disposition, even if at times I found her a tad arrogant, even that, and the way she carried herself with no shame, only danger.... made me love her more. Many of her inner conflicts were interesting to read too.
As for Roma... I'm conflicted. He was... lovely, sure, but when compared to Juliette, falls very flat, like a cardboard cut-out of someone. He's the sweetest counterpart of both, but I feel he was overshadowed and made out to be only a love interest.
The romance was by far the weakest aspect, it felt like outdated sparkly water: there was some "flavor" (mostly due to the tense atmosphere they found themselves in, which made their love forbidden), but also very...bland. There's little chemistry.
On that note, the writing was nice, albeit repetitive every now and then -. The vocabulary was fresh, I found new words to search, to look up many times, which is always welcome. I liked it, and wouldn't mind reading more of Gong's works.
However there is still something missing in this particular book. Maybe I expected too much from all the hype around it, but the world was somehow hollow, even with all the glam, the characters, their stories... perhaps I put too much faith in it. I'd still recommend it if you're looking for a fantasy x history work set in Asia, with one hell of a badass lead.
Props to the audiobook, which helped me finish the book within the week like I wanted :)
-
a solid 3 stars. will review tomorrow!
These Violent Delights takes you on a grimly journey through 1920's Shanghai - with a fantasy twist to it. Its intrigue is filled with political and cultural endeavours, with its main theme being a dangerous chase after a mysterious monster.
Many other deals decorate the narrative well: the true cost of colonization and globalization, the widespread tool of different political and gang parties or/and the never-ending, always griping tension between rival gangs. Surprisingly, these were the most interesting parts. Chloe Gong masterfully knitted all these in a sole book, never making the change too confusing.
As for our characters, I liked that, although it's beyond obvious our mains are Juliette and Roma, we had many povs coming from people in each side. It was intriguing to have new perspectives, and very much needed when the romance was so lacklustre.
I loved Juliette's fierceness and watchful disposition, even if at times I found her a tad arrogant, even that, and the way she carried herself with no shame, only danger.... made me love her more. Many of her inner conflicts were interesting to read too.
As for Roma... I'm conflicted. He was... lovely, sure, but when compared to Juliette, falls very flat, like a cardboard cut-out of someone. He's the sweetest counterpart of both, but I feel he was overshadowed and made out to be only a love interest.
The romance was by far the weakest aspect, it felt like outdated sparkly water: there was some "flavor" (mostly due to the tense atmosphere they found themselves in, which made their love forbidden), but also very...bland. There's little chemistry.
Spoiler
I got the feeling the author mainly relied on the said fact that they HAD previously been in love to carry it out, which made their sparks less enthusiastic. They never truly hate each other: they hate what they have done, by their own hands or not.On that note, the writing was nice, albeit repetitive every now and then -
Spoiler
we get it, it's been 4 yearsHowever there is still something missing in this particular book. Maybe I expected too much from all the hype around it, but the world was somehow hollow, even with all the glam, the characters, their stories... perhaps I put too much faith in it. I'd still recommend it if you're looking for a fantasy x history work set in Asia, with one hell of a badass lead.
Props to the audiobook, which helped me finish the book within the week like I wanted :)
-
a solid 3 stars. will review tomorrow!
Alright everyone grab your seatbelts cause this was a RIDE.
I’ve never written a book review before in my life but I’m glad this one is the first because honestly this is one of the best books I’ve read in a LONG time.
Juliette is my new favorite book character now. I don’t even know what else to say she’s so flawless and beautifully flawed at the same time, and that enemies to lovers arc was just *chefs kiss*. While she was amazing, my favorite part was definitely the other characters. Even through they are classified as “side characters” I felt like you truly got to know each one of them as each of their backstories were developed so beautifully.
I was so excited to read this book because of the asian representation, and as a half Asian person there’s not a lot of fantasy books out there that have that. (Ok maybe there are but in my experience I’ve had to really look for them). And oh my god while that’s what I came I got so much more.
Chloe please release the next book asap you can’t leave us hanging like this PLEASE
I’ve never written a book review before in my life but I’m glad this one is the first because honestly this is one of the best books I’ve read in a LONG time.
Juliette is my new favorite book character now. I don’t even know what else to say she’s so flawless and beautifully flawed at the same time, and that enemies to lovers arc was just *chefs kiss*. While she was amazing, my favorite part was definitely the other characters. Even through they are classified as “side characters” I felt like you truly got to know each one of them as each of their backstories were developed so beautifully.
I was so excited to read this book because of the asian representation, and as a half Asian person there’s not a lot of fantasy books out there that have that. (Ok maybe there are but in my experience I’ve had to really look for them). And oh my god while that’s what I came I got so much more.
Chloe please release the next book asap you can’t leave us hanging like this PLEASE
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
This book was so good! I loved the multiple POV and how each character had an interesting and individual background. It lost one star because I wanted more fluff LOL and also a couple parts were a bit slow, but other than that it was great. Having a lead female character who was Asian >>> also I’m LIVING for the fashion
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A