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A review by mariedaniella
Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
(This review is more than a year after finishing the book and after revisiting only my annotations before reading the next book Foul Heart Huntsman.)
I tremendously enjoyed this book! I was so absorbed by the story, really loved all the characters, and got very invested in everything about the book but most especially the romance—so much so that my reading experience was “no thoughts, head empty, just read and had immense fun,” to be honest.
But flipping through the book and my annotations, I guess what stood out to me are:
— The characters.
What I always loved about Chloe Gong’s first duology was her characters, how she wrote them and it was the same for this book. The characters were diverse making the plot and the world-building vibrant. They were all very lovable, too, with interesting stories of their own. I especially loved Rosalind. I thought she came to be a main character who didn’t feel so disconnected from her introduction and the events in These Violent Delights, her introduction and start. I loved her story and her developments in this book.
— The romance.
Above all else! I loved the romance between Rosalind and Orion! The tropes (forced proximity, fake marriage, and the grumpy x the flirt) were already right up my alley but I loved how they were used alongside the plot. It showed their dynamic which I enjoyed. Their romance was very, very swoon-worthy, I was screaming at every moment.
— The writing.
It’s not the most impressive writing there is, I know, but I still thought it was very good. I’ve always liked how Chloe Gong creates the atmosphere and tone of each moment. How she portrays the emotions of the characters and her imagery. I think my favorite part of the writing was how she wrote the city as something sentient, another character in the story. The mystery/spy part of the story wasn’t as impressionable for me. Admittedly, I was just having fun going along and was more or less just patiently waiting for things to happen. The clues that I picked up were easily noticeable though. It’s interesting enough, I guess.
To wrap it up, again, I loved this book. One of my favorites last year and an easy five-star read for me!
I tremendously enjoyed this book! I was so absorbed by the story, really loved all the characters, and got very invested in everything about the book but most especially the romance—so much so that my reading experience was “no thoughts, head empty, just read and had immense fun,” to be honest.
But flipping through the book and my annotations, I guess what stood out to me are:
— The characters.
What I always loved about Chloe Gong’s first duology was her characters, how she wrote them and it was the same for this book. The characters were diverse making the plot and the world-building vibrant. They were all very lovable, too, with interesting stories of their own. I especially loved Rosalind. I thought she came to be a main character who didn’t feel so disconnected from her introduction and the events in These Violent Delights, her introduction and start. I loved her story and her developments in this book.
— The romance.
Above all else! I loved the romance between Rosalind and Orion! The tropes (forced proximity, fake marriage, and the grumpy x the flirt) were already right up my alley but I loved how they were used alongside the plot. It showed their dynamic which I enjoyed. Their romance was very, very swoon-worthy, I was screaming at every moment.
— The writing.
It’s not the most impressive writing there is, I know, but I still thought it was very good. I’ve always liked how Chloe Gong creates the atmosphere and tone of each moment. How she portrays the emotions of the characters and her imagery. I think my favorite part of the writing was how she wrote the city as something sentient, another character in the story. The mystery/spy part of the story wasn’t as impressionable for me. Admittedly, I was just having fun going along and was more or less just patiently waiting for things to happen. The clues that I picked up were easily noticeable though. It’s interesting enough, I guess.
To wrap it up, again, I loved this book. One of my favorites last year and an easy five-star read for me!