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A review by foreverinastory
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
adventurous
dark
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
Well this is now my favorite Romeo & Juliet retelling ever.
These Violent Delights takes us to a fantasy Shanghai were rival gangs fight over control of the city. As the blood feud rages, outside forces have come to Shanghai to try and take over. It will come down to Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov to figure out what the rumors of a monster and madness mean and who is responsible.
I loved this retelling so much. The way this story differs from the original was masterfully done. I felt like this story had so much more heart and dimension than the original as well. While we still have starcrossed lovers and rival gangs, this book also adds in a magical element of a monster that spreads a plague. At times, it did feel quite gory. And the fact that insects were involved just ups the cringe factor.
I loved these characters and their backstories so much! Juliette is so ruthless and cunning. She is the heir, but she's also working against a lot of misogyny and sexism to ensure she gets her due. Roma is secretly a cinnamon roll, but he looks like he could kill you. I really loved seeing these two work together and how their past actions informed their present. I'm not explaining this well but I just loved all their interactions.
Then there were all the side characters! This book is so rich in setting, culture and character. Like every little thing added up. Even though this was a longer audio, I felt like I sped through it and I can't wait for the sequel!
Rep: Chinese female MC, Korean male MC, Chinese trans female side character, possible MLM side couple, Chinese and Korean supporting cast.
CWs: Alcohol consumption, animal death (insects), blood, colonisation, death, gore, gun violence, injury/injury detail, medical content, misogyny, murder, racism, sexism, violence, war, xenophobia. Moderate: deadnaming, grief, transphobia/transmisia.
These Violent Delights takes us to a fantasy Shanghai were rival gangs fight over control of the city. As the blood feud rages, outside forces have come to Shanghai to try and take over. It will come down to Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov to figure out what the rumors of a monster and madness mean and who is responsible.
I loved this retelling so much. The way this story differs from the original was masterfully done. I felt like this story had so much more heart and dimension than the original as well. While we still have starcrossed lovers and rival gangs, this book also adds in a magical element of a monster that spreads a plague. At times, it did feel quite gory. And the fact that insects were involved just ups the cringe factor.
I loved these characters and their backstories so much! Juliette is so ruthless and cunning. She is the heir, but she's also working against a lot of misogyny and sexism to ensure she gets her due. Roma is secretly a cinnamon roll, but he looks like he could kill you. I really loved seeing these two work together and how their past actions informed their present. I'm not explaining this well but I just loved all their interactions.
Then there were all the side characters! This book is so rich in setting, culture and character. Like every little thing added up. Even though this was a longer audio, I felt like I sped through it and I can't wait for the sequel!
Rep: Chinese female MC, Korean male MC, Chinese trans female side character, possible MLM side couple, Chinese and Korean supporting cast.
CWs: Alcohol consumption, animal death (insects), blood, colonisation, death, gore, gun violence, injury/injury detail, medical content, misogyny, murder, racism, sexism, violence, war, xenophobia. Moderate: deadnaming, grief, transphobia/transmisia.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Colonisation, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Sexism, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Grief, Transphobia, and Deadnaming