Chloe Gong is back and has delivered another masterpiece!

'Foul Lady Fortune' is the first book in a new duology by Chloe Gong that is set in the same world as her last series, These Violent Delights. There’s new evilness to conquer with some familiar faces along with new characters as well.

It’s been five years since the events of 'Our Violent Ends'. You don’t necessarily need to read the previous duology because this book explains the past perfectly. There are major spoilers throughout, so if you plan on reading the first series, I highly suggest doing so before picking up 'Foul Lady Fortune'. That said, there might be slight spoilers from the previous series in this review.

At the heart of this book is Rosalind Lang. Many readers may remember her from the previous books with not much love for her. She betrayed her family and the Scarlett Gang no longer exists, plus so many more crimes and hurt she brought to Shanghai because she trusted the wrong person. When she finds herself on the verge of death she’s ready to say goodbye, but her sister has other plans for her.

Rosalind ends up becoming a deathly assassin who can heal and never age. This makes her the perfect weapon for the Nationalists. With her new skills, she becomes determined to right her wrongs and won’t stop until she sees a brighter future for Shanghai.

I sympathized with Rosalind. Even after five years, she’s still hurting and there is so much guilt she carries with her. It’s made her reluctant in trusting herself and especially her heart.

When she gets paired on a new mission as a spy alongside Orion Hong, it’s easy for her to misjudge and distrust his carefree and playboy attitude. The two are complete opposites and now they’re being forced to enter a fake marriage. But Rosalind will do whatever it takes to uncover the truth behind these mysterious murders happening around the city.

Orion is the perfect balance to Rosalind’s character! He’s a charmer and their dynamic makes for an entertaining frenemies-to-lovers romance.

Just like in the previous series we get a lot of different POVs and Orion’s was a favorite of mine. There were times when I wished we got to see more of his past, especially his relationship with his parents, but I have a feeling we’ll see more of this in the next installment.

There are a lot more other characters and I enjoyed them all! It was great seeing Celia and Alisa again. The two of them are more grown up now so it felt emotional reconnecting with a different version of their characters. There are a few new fun characters as well. My favorite was Orion’s younger sister, Pheobe.

Chloe Gong’s writing is still breathtaking. She knows how to build an intriguing world with interesting characters. Everything in this book is more slowly paced and I enjoyed this much more. Gong dives deeper into the politics of this world and with a slower pace, everything was easier to understand. I also appreciated the great representation of different sexualities from Rosalind’s demisexuality to others’ bisexuality and asexuality.

There’s a lot of mystery and intrigue throughout the story! This is a spy story at its core and no one is who they appear to be, not even Rosalind and Orion. The twists and secrets that get revealed kept me on the edge of my seat! There is a huge cliffhanger at the end and I can’t wait to read where Chloe Gong takes this series!

If you enjoyed 'These Violent Delights' then you are sure to enjoy this one. Or if you’re looking for a new historical fiction story with fantasy elements then check 'Foul Lady Fortune' out!

Foul Lady Fortune is Available now and the first book in the new duology by Chloe Gong .

I loved “These violent Delights” and I couldn’t miss the opportunity to read this new addition. It is set as a standalone but I think you should read These Violent delights first because some characters are making appearances in both stories.

Four years ago, Rosalind was considered death, but a magic serum brought her back to life. Now she is paired with a fake husband while they are chasing a murderer.

It is a more slow start that I was expecting, but it increases quickly after you get a hold of what’s happening and where the story goes.

I loved it much more than These Violent Delight. Not sure if it is because of the dossier Rosalind is or just because the story itself is superb and captivating.

Going from more of an enemy to lovers, the slow burn between Rosalind and Orión is blooming intensely with each chapter. The more dangerous situations they have to face, the more their attraction and willingness for it all to finish soon is becoming.

Beautiful cover and writing, great story to look up for.

🆓📖Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy through NetGalley

this first book in chloe's spinoff duology to These Violent Delights uncovered a pattern in chloe's writing that is not necessarily bad, but if you are not a patient reader, you will not have much luck in enjoying her stories.

the first 2/3 of this book was a slog, quite like These Violent Delights. chloe tends to go heavy on infodump and details of complex political machinations right off the bat in her first books, to such an extent it feels as though she's trying to weed out the readers who don't have the will to wade through the thick of it. now: is it worth it, in the end? i'd say yes. however, I am one of those aforementioned patient readers. can't say it'd be the same for everyone.

as chloe is working within the realms of real history in her stories, I have a lot of respect for the way she weaves all of the political complexities in, but I ultimately think some of the endless exposition could have been edited down.

the last third of this book was the selling point and savior, just as I knew it would be. it completely hooked me and brought everything that may have seemed pointless to a full circle. I think this is absolutely a book that will get a higher rating from me upon reread, as chloe includes details in every encounter that may not make sense until 300 pages later. a talent, to be sure! I think the sequel, like Our Violent Ends, is going to be the real winner in this duology.

also, if you are reading this book simply for tropes advertised and nothing else..... don't. lol

An assassin, a spy, and a fake marriage... that's it, I'm sold.
There were so many secrets, lies, covers, double and triple agents, hidden pasts...
This book felt like when your headphone wires get tangled and you can't figure out how to get them loose but in the best way possible.

Ummmm that ending?? I'm in shock.

eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

🧪Foul Lady Fortune🧪
Pub Date: 9/27/2022

⭐️⭐️⭐️

🧪Synopsis🧪
This book takes place after the These Violent Delights duology and focuses on Rosalind and Cecilia Lang. This was written as book 1 in a new stand alone duology. It’s set in 1931 in Shanghai. Two sisters on different sides of war, with some sci-fi mixed in.

🧪Review🧪
My initial thought while reading this book was that it was cool this world was connected to the world set up in the initial duology, however, part of me thinks this could have been a completely stand alone duology and that it wasn’t necessary to bring characters over.

That being said, I loved Cecilia in the original duology and was so glad she was part of this new story. The title and synopsis of the book will lead you to think it’s all about Rosalind, but thankfully it’s not. I wish Cecilia had more of a presence and hopefully we will see more of her in the second book.

By the end of the last duology, I was pretty lukewarm on Rosalind and she did have some level of redemption here, so don’t let that turn you off.

The overall story was full of spies and intrigue. You never really knew where someone’s loyalties really were. I love the writing. There was some mild romance and I liked that. (Fake marriage, anyone???)

I appreciate that Chloe Gong includes LGBTQ+ characters into her books and gives them moments to shine and moments to have love.

Thank you so much to @netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Chloe, and Simon & Schuster for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I’m a fan of Chloe Gong. I loved her These Violent Delights Duet (a Romeo & Juliet retelling) set in 1920s Shanghai - highly recommend). In my opinion, I think if you want to have a better understand of some of the characters in this book I’d read this duet first, although not necessary to fully grasp the content.

“𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛’𝑡 𝑎𝑠𝑘 𝑚𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑏𝑦 𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑠 𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ. 𝐼’𝑙𝑙 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑤𝑎𝑦.”

Chloe describes Foul Lady Fortune as a historical thriller inspired by Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” but make it a Chinese period drama with some Marvel cinematic action. I was sold! To be honest, I loved this book more than her previous duet - I was so invested.

The beginning chapter starts off with a bang, and the storyline kept me intrigued and it was perfectly paced. The main characters’ banter was perfection and Rosalind’s whole personality was a straight vibe.

This book had banter, slow burn, action packed scenes, mystery, political intrigue and more and I could not put it down. The plot twists and that ending has me begging Chloe for the release date for the second book of this already.

Read if you like: historical thrillers, chemical warfare, betrayal, poison, assassins, spies, opposites attract, political war, Shakespeare retellings, Marvel vibes, slow burn, flirty banter, marriage of convenience, plot twists, secret identities, forced proximity, undercover missions

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had not read "As You Like It' prior to reading "Foul Lady Fortune" so I had no idea what to expect going into this book, but I was pleasantly surprised. I actually found myself enjoying this more than "These Violent Delights", mainly because Rosalind's immortality added a really interesting element to the story and the mystery in this story was really gripping. I really enjoyed the murder mystery aspect of this story, and that ending had my jaw on the floor!! I genuinely loved so many of the characters, but I think Rosalind has to be my favorite because if there's one thing Chloe Gong knows how to write, it's a ruthless female assassin.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and I can't wait for the sequel!

“No, she’s a liar. A beautiful liar, but a liar nonetheless.”

Holy twists! So many unexpected revelations happened in the last 20% of the book. I felt like I was constantly like “holy *^%#”. I really loved the feel of Foul Lady Fortune. It is set in older times with a constantly look over your shoulder eerie feeling.

I loved trying to uncover each detail with Rosalind & Co. Constantly trying to figure out who is hiding what, who is double crossing, and who is killing. With so many of the agents, there were so many blurred lines, it was hard to figure out who was where. Which I guess is the point of being spy. At first it is a lot to take in, but once you do the story takes off in a “who dun it” style and it is epic.

With our man duo, Rosalind and Orion, I adored watching them grow on one another. They both have such a different, yet awful past that it was wonderful watching them grow together. I’ll be extremely curious to see how the evolve in the second book along with Celia, Oliver, Phoebe, and Silas too.

Overall, Chloe Gong knocked it out of the park. She did a wonderful job weaving all the mysteries and story lines together. Cannot wait for book two!

Chloe Gong again does not disappoint. I was immediately sucked in and enjoyed this book. I was a bit worried that I might not understand or keep up but it was not hard to follow along and had a good story.

Happy release week to FOUL LADY FORTUNE and bookstagram’s bestie Miss Chloe Gong! Thank you @simonandschuster ****for the advanced copy; I was screaming when I found out I’d gotten approved for it in July…and screaming once more as I read, which checks out for a Chloe Gong book. FLF marks the beginning of a spin-off duology based on the world of THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS, yet it’s book three in continuing the preexisting foundation. Peppered with cameos by familiar faces, FLF ushers in a new set of characters and has its origins in a different Shakespearean play, AS YOU LIKE IT. It’s 1931 in Shanghai, and Rosalind Lang, cousin to Juliette Cai, has emerged as an assassin for the Nationalists. She’s to pose as the wife of another spy, Orion Hong, and they’re assigned to investigate a series of murders connected to the Japanese Imperial Army.

FLF is a sister piece in every sense of the word—it reads more maturely and is anchored by the emotional gravitas of a protagonist who’s in her ‘this is me trying’ arc. There’s a genre shift from fantasy to historical thriller, described by Chloe as a Chinese period drama that meets a Marvel movie, and as such the book is heavy on politics and civil unrest. Her prose is reliably stunning, but there’s a distinct tonal shift in this book. Here, Shanghai is bleeding out and reeling from the ache. In Juliette’s world of the 1920’s, it was glittering and opulent, but the city that Rosalind inherits is nostalgic for the stability it never had—a mirror for our two female leads.

Chloe takes the most unlikeable character from TVD and paints her in a more nuanced light. However, given the many rotating perspectives, I wanted more time with Rosalind and a deeper analysis into her character. I’ll always be a Juliette girlie and a sucker for some good ol’ enemies-to-lovers pining, but FLF’s “grumpy demisexual x manic bisexual x fake marriage” pairing provided levity to an otherwise dire landscape of imperialism and civil war. I agree with other reviewers that it takes time for the plot to gain traction, but because this was this case with Chloe’s prior works, I came in with a hunch that the payoff would be worth it. It was. If there’s one thing I can trust Chloe to deliver on, it’s a book with twists and turns that escalates into something completely original, but nevertheless grounded by love.

This book is soooo goooood!

The story started slow but as it progresses, damn you're not gonna want to put it down! I haven't read TVD but after I read this one, I found the need to read them and I can't wait for the next book!

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Chloe Gong is back at it, this time with a spinoff series from a different character's perspective. We return to Shanghai, albeit several years after the events of the first duology. I will admit, it did take me a bit to get back into this world, and especially remember what roles the characters had in the previous series. In fact, you do not have to have read the other books to read this one, but it has a lot of nice callbacks that will reward you if you do.

Once I got into the book, I fell into Rosalind's story completely. She is a wonderful character, and you can certainly understand how her past experiences have shaped her current decision making processes. She has lost so much, and still feels the guilt of her betrayal of her family. She is seeking redemption, and will seemingly do just about anything to get there. She ends up having to work with a man she really doesn't want to work with, but they will both do as they must for their people.

The story has a ton of layers, including a lot of twists and turns. No one really knows who they can trust, which is a big theme in both series. I loved the side characters as well, both new and old, that we are introduced to (or in some cases, reintroduced to), and I loved their new interactions and relationships with each other.

Once I got through the first ten percent or so, I flew through this book, unable to put it down. I was eager to learn the fates of characters we've loved and hated, and those we've just met, and eager to learn more about what the heck was happening in the city, too.

Bottom Line: This was just as great as the first duology, and I am in dire need of the second book now, please and thank you!

I am very excited to read this!! Unfortunately, the eARC I received from the publisher isn’t compatible with Kindle, and reading on my phone gives me a headache 😭 So I am leaving a preemptive review for now & will update with mor dog my thoughts once I’m able to buy a physical copy.

These Violent Delights duology is a big hit with my high school students, so I’m sure this one will be too!

The Cai house in Shanghai has been abandoned. The Scarlet gang is gone and it’s feud with the White Flowers is just a lingering wound in the memory of Rosalind Lange.
Four years ago, Rosalind was brought back from the brink of death by a scientific serum. Now, she’s the most dangerous weapon in the Nationalist’s arsenal. As the Japanese are moving into Shanghai and a murderer is stalking the city, she’s been paired with a partner. Posing as a married couple, Rosalind and Orion are planted at Seagreen Publishing. But in the lives of spies, double agents, and triple agents, you never know who you can trust—and Rosalind finds her new “husband” both maddening and enticing.

Foul Lady Fortune is a new duology from Chloe Gong. It picks up after the events of These Violent Ends and it’s difficult to read and review it without some comparison to These Violent Delights, the series in which we first met some of the characters. Especially since I loved the first series.

I’m Foul Lady Fortune, there’s a much slower build from the opening until the action and stakes increase and also in the interaction between Rosalind and Orion.
For me, I’m addition to in being a much slower build, Rosalind and Orion lack the heat and intensity that drew me so deeply into Juliette and Roman’s relationship. Rosalind and Orion grate on each other’s nerves at first. They fall into a comfortable partnership with a slow build romance that blossoms throughout. Even though I liked them both I found myself wishing for more between them.

Alisa makes an appearance as do others from Gong’s previous series. It’s always enjoyable when familiar characters come into a new situation and make an impact.

The first time I really felt my heart race was in a scene with Rosalind in a bathroom with someone who she’d let her carefully crafted persona slip. I wish there’d been more glimpses of Rosalind as Lady Fortune before that. I love her as that spy/assassin. That was the premise that really interested me in this book and I’d hoped for more of that. The spy aspect was a little more subdued and quiet than I’d imagined.

The whole novel had a slow progression and lacked the feeling of danger I experienced on every page of These Violent Delights.

Chloe Gong can definitely craft a world and invoke all the emotions that go with it. Although Foul Lady Fortune didn’t hit all the high notes I’d expected it to, it was still a good read, an interesting book, and identifiable characters.

*I received a copy of Foul Lady Fortune from Simon and Schuster Children’s Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Full disclosure, I haven’t read the These Violent Delights duology. At this point, I probably won’t either since this book did pretty well recapping the important stuff whilst also totally spoiling it. And I must say, this was surprisingly good! I say surprisingly because a lot of my bookish friends have read TVD and didn’t love it. I went in with minimum expectations and hoped for the best because the synopsis for Foul Lady Fortune really captured my attention. I’m a sucker for a spy story.

Espionage, a country on the cusp of war, 1930s Shanghai setting, fake marriage, it just had so much going for it and boy, did it work! Really enjoyed it. There were some fantastic twists (two really good ones in particular), lovable characters, promising romances, fun writing and banter, and a solidly interesting plot. Orion and Rosalind had great chemistry and fake marriage is a trope I tend to enjoy when it’s for a good reason, like two undercover spies. I also liked the sexual representation with a demisexual FMC, a bisexual MC, and an asexual character. I can’t deny that I just had a lot of fun reading this. Overall, totally recommend! Now the tortuous wait for the next book.

I’m not going to pretend to be knowledgeable about 1930s China because aside from the main points, I don’t really know much. When a book is claiming to be historical fiction, then the author definitely had a duty to do their due diligence. Did the characters speak like they were in the 1930s? It definitely didn’t read like it. But at the end of the day, this IS a work of fiction and it has elements of fantasy so obviously I’m not going to take anything all that seriously. Just wanted to mention that.

This is one of my most anticipated releases this year because I loved These Violent Delights so much! Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC. However, I'm unable to read this in my Kindle and my phone is too small for me to have a comfortable reading experience. I look forward to release day when Foul Lady Fortune is finally in my hands. I have no doubt it's going to be phenomenal.

**Will update my review on Goodreads once I read the physical copy.

Foul lady Fortune was an enjoyable read. After watching spyxfamily I was ready for more spy/assassin content. This book definitely delivered on those vibes minus the cute child.

I gotta say Oliver and Celia were my favorite in this especially Oliver. He was mysterious and his banter was on point!

I found the political happenings in the book to be entertaining enough to keep me reading, but I wasn't invested in the mystery revolving around the murders. The murders reminded me of her last series.

Rosalind and Orion's romance did not grip me at all. They were interesting enough but I didn't buy their romance.

Overall I would recommend it if you're looking for a spy and assassin pretend to be married kind of story.

Foul Lady Fortune is the first book in a new duology by Chloe Gong. Picking up five years after the events of Our Violent Ends, Rosalind Lang, cousin of the ill fated Juliette Cai, is now a spy for the Nationalist Party and is tasked with finding out who is committing a series of murders while also protecting her own identity.

What I liked:
-Multiple mysteries and investigations. There's a lot going on here and plenty of clues to unravel, but they all come together near the end
-Quite a few twists and red herrings that kept me guessing.
-Multiple third person POVs, which helped keep the story interesting. We get to see things from both the Nationalist and Communist sides, as they both try to uncover information while working separately but also together at some points.
-The fake romance. I am a sucker for the fake dating trope. Rosalind and her partner/fake husband, Orion Hong, are the perfect foils to each other. Orion is cocky and outgoing, while Rosalind is more serious and aloof. Dare we say, opposites attract?
-The identity of the murderer .. mind blown!

While this takes place in the same world as her previous duology, Gong does such a great job of continuing to flesh out 1900s Shanghai and showing how the events of those books influenced some of what happens in this one. She has written another great historical fiction novel that infuses fantasy and science fiction and I cannot wait until the sequel comes out!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing & NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

I was so excited to receive this ARC because after reading These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends, anything Chloe Gong writes is an automatic buy for me. Foul Lady Fortune starts off almost a decade after Our Violent Ends. We find out that Rosalind Lang has been busy training as a spy and carry out her revenge on the long gone White Flowers. Meanwhile, China's political woes are just beginning. The Nationalists and the Communists are battling it out in civil war, allowing Japanese troops to start making their move.

Rosalind (aka Fortune) has been recruited by the Kuomintang to go undercover to infiltrate Communist circles. Enter Orion Hong (& Fake Dating/Marriage trope), her new partner. On the Communist side, Celia is working with Orion's brother Oliver. Together, they embark on a twisty crash course into the political struggle for power.

While I loved seeing Rosalind and Celia's return, we meet so many new characters that you can't help but love! Gong does such a great job of balancing the cultural, historical backdrop with the dark, Shakespearean vibes that just keeps you wanting more. After reading the ending, I'm so ready to see what happens next!

Foul Lady Fortune hits shelves on September 27!

Chloe Gong has outdone herself. This is SO much better than her previous duology.

This book was set several years after the ending of Our Violent Ends, and even though I remembered CG said that readers don't need to read TVD & OVE in order to read FLF, I think It would help the overall reading experiences if ones already read those duology because the references in FLF were a LOT. But I can confirm that the conflict and background are different and not exactly related.

In this time of event, Shanghai was teetering in the brink of civil war between the Nationalist and the Communist AND there's also Japanese Army who's been ready to take over the city. Spies and assassins are common jobs and they're literally everywhere. Rosalind was originally a Nationalist's assassin but one day her handler paired her with a spy in a fake marriage to avoid unnecessary suspicions. Familiar with the pairing? yeah it reminds me of Loid and Yor Forger from Spy x Family lmao. But on way more serious level.

I liked how the narrative was not as stiff as CG/s previous duology (sorry). The jokes are on point and the character dynamics seemed natural. Each of the character has strong and distinct personality. The plot was engaging from the very beginning--it went straight to action--probably because the setting was already set from previous duology (this is why I recommend you to read them first). Every scene made me wonder who's behind this and what would happen after that but my guesses turned out all wrong so congrats Chloe for successfully fooled me. There's also a badly dysfunctional family that made me want to personally adopt some of the member out of pity. Another plus point if you're a Swiftie: there's a lot of Taylor song/lyric references and its fun to recognize them hehe<3

There's still some things that could be developed but overall it's enjoyable. I couldn't stop thinking about the ending (spoiler alert: it's a cliffhanger) for a couple of days. Can't wait for the sequel