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A review by betweentheshelves
Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong
adventurous
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? It's complicated
4.0
It's 1931 in Shanghai, and Rosalind Lang is trying to make up for her past. No longer able to age or sleep due to an experiment that saved her four years ago, she's now an assassin for her country. She uses her newfound skills to make up for her traitorous past. Now, she's known as code name: Fortune.
When the Japanese Imperial Army starts to invade, Rosalind's mission changes. Now, she must infiltrate a foreign society to see who is committing mysterious murders happening in Shanghai. However, as a part of her new mission, she must post as a wife of Nationalist spy Orion Hong. As the two attempt to work together, Orion is also determined to find out about Rosalind's past. A past she wants to stay buried.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of Foul Lady Fortune to review! This is a spinoff series of Gong's duology from last year, These Violent Delights. If you enjoyed Gong's writing in that series, you'll definitely love diving into this new one.
While you don't have to have read These Violent Delights to understand what's going on in this book, there are spoilers included. Just a heads up! It also makes some of the other character cameos more satisfying. In general, I think it adds more to the story if you already know what went on up until this point. But I digress!
This is pitched as a retelling of As You Like It, so if you're into those Shakesepare retellings, Gong does some of the best. For this one, she definitely adds that historical thriller intrigue. A spy and an assassin working together? Sounds like another series I'm a fan of (Spy X Family, if you're curious!). But this one definitely isn't as lighthearted.
I will say, Gong takes a while to get going in any of her novels. The starts are pretty slow, but once the action picks up, it picks up. It was hard to put the book down for the second half of the book. You'll definitely be hooked!
All in all, if you like historical retellings of classics with unique spins, definitely pick this one up when it comes out!
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A slow start, like Chloe Gong's other books, but once it picks up, it's hard to put down! Stay tuned for a full review to come next week.
When the Japanese Imperial Army starts to invade, Rosalind's mission changes. Now, she must infiltrate a foreign society to see who is committing mysterious murders happening in Shanghai. However, as a part of her new mission, she must post as a wife of Nationalist spy Orion Hong. As the two attempt to work together, Orion is also determined to find out about Rosalind's past. A past she wants to stay buried.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of Foul Lady Fortune to review! This is a spinoff series of Gong's duology from last year, These Violent Delights. If you enjoyed Gong's writing in that series, you'll definitely love diving into this new one.
While you don't have to have read These Violent Delights to understand what's going on in this book, there are spoilers included. Just a heads up! It also makes some of the other character cameos more satisfying. In general, I think it adds more to the story if you already know what went on up until this point. But I digress!
This is pitched as a retelling of As You Like It, so if you're into those Shakesepare retellings, Gong does some of the best. For this one, she definitely adds that historical thriller intrigue. A spy and an assassin working together? Sounds like another series I'm a fan of (Spy X Family, if you're curious!). But this one definitely isn't as lighthearted.
I will say, Gong takes a while to get going in any of her novels. The starts are pretty slow, but once the action picks up, it picks up. It was hard to put the book down for the second half of the book. You'll definitely be hooked!
All in all, if you like historical retellings of classics with unique spins, definitely pick this one up when it comes out!
-----
A slow start, like Chloe Gong's other books, but once it picks up, it's hard to put down! Stay tuned for a full review to come next week.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, and Racism
Minor: Child death and Transphobia