I hadn’t realized that was in a way a continuation to Chloe Gong’s earlier books (which I hadn’t read). I thought my love for Republic of China’s era cdramas and superserum superspies would make this book work for me, but it’s not me it’s you — the YA aspect of it doesn’t really click for me. So with no hard feelings I will leave this to be reviewed to people who like YA and who can appreciate this better.

It's genuinely annoying how good this book is and how long I need to wait for the sequel because oh my good gods, I would let Rosalind and Orion walk all over me and then I'd say thank you.

They're dynamic, their characterisation, and just the way I felt like I would be friends with them if they were real. It was great.

All the characters were. The fuck you, imperialism attitude of Foul Lady Fortune as someone who is strongly against empires and the conquering for their own good nonsense filled my heart with joy.

The stabby stabbiness. The plot twists and reveals. The bridge of real history with fiction. Chloe Gong does it well and does it entertainingly.

I'll be making everyone buy this.

I think my biggest mistake was having any expectations for this book. Rosalind was interesting enough in TVD but her being the sole narrator of this book was one of the things that slightly irritated me. don't get me wrong, she has a great personality and all but when she is laid side by side with a cheese grater, I'm afraid the latter has the GRATER personality (excuse me for the pun there). the love interest (I finished the book like a couple of hours ago and I completely forgot everyone's names already) was a bit queasy and a little too philosophical for a guy who thought it would be an amazing idea to fake marry an immortal spy the mafia is combing all corners of the world to catch. I don't even know what the main source of conflict was. I don't even know what the plot was let alone guess the plot twist. again, I should not have had any expectations going into this book- I expected this to be a continuation of TVD and that's on me. I will definitely give this a chance again but after a long break so I forgot all the reasons why I gave it two stars.

This book starts so well. The opening chapters are nothing short of explosive, and I couldn't have been more compelled to dive straight in if I tried. But, suddenly the Chloe Gong slams the brakes on and it just slowly ticks over from there.

My main dilemma going into this book was that I hadn't read her previous series. This book stands in isolation, allegedly, except it doesn't really. There are huge spoilers for the previous series, memorable spoilers rather than vague off-hand anecdotes that you would only pick up on if you knew the story. I don't mind anecdotes or easter eggs for fans, but this was end-game level spoilery, so there's not much point in me going backwards now. Having said that, I suppose you enter at your own risk when there may be similar themes or shared worlds across stories, I just wish it had been made clearer.

Regardless, Rosalind is a cool character. She has an ability which means she's essentially impossible to kill, which is really useful in her line of work! She's been begrudgingly paired up with Orion, posing as his wife, on a shared mission. I love assassin stories - the dark, grim, twisty stories which you probably shouldn't like, but always do. This was a much slower version of one of those stories.

So, I didn't dislike it, but it just felt a bit too dense and descriptive for a high stakes immortal assassin!

ARC provided from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Where do I even begin with this one. Earlier this year I bought These Violent Delights Duology, little did I know it would go on to be two of my favorite books for the year. So when I saw the approval for Foul Lady Fortune I can't even begin to describe my excitement. Chloe Gong is simply spectacular. She is a literary monster at such a young age. She set the bar so high with her first book and the fact that every book after is just consistently better blows my mind.

Foul Lady Fortune was beyond anything I could ever perceive. It was one of those books that made me completely forget I was reading. The perfect form of escapism. The world of Shanghai is so well built from the previous novels but here we have a different view point, at a different age. It's refreshing to see how Shanghai has moved on (whether good or bad) from the outcome of Our Violent Delights. Gong really builds up this world that seems so fortifying yet harrowing at the same time. The political unrest continues to evolve. The social climate hostile. It sets the perfect stage for our characters.

Speaking of characters. Rosalind was absolutely fantastic. I loved the appearance of the older characters, the different povs. Being able to see what each was up to. Miss Lady Fortune had so much depth as a main protagonist. She's not good, nor bad, she's just herself. And that is something I love about Gong's characters. They're not perfect, they all have flaws and within those flaws you feel a sense of connectedness. I did not expect to fall as hard as I did for Orion Hong. He was just the right amount of comedic relief to offset Rosalind's seriousness. Everytime he called her Beloved, I swooned a little. I really loved their dynamic and I'm a huge sucker for slow burns.

The complexity of the plot blew me away. Chloe Gong has some of the most all rounded plots I've ever come across. She has the type of plots I wish never end because it constantly keeps me on my toes. Just when I think I have things figured out she sweeps the rug from underneath and throws in another plot twist. I actually considered sitting down before a board and mapping out the plot because of this. The last ten chapters in particular had me by the throat.

Overall, I loved this book so much and absolutely cannot wait to have a physical copy in my hands. I could only put half of my thoughts into words for this review when reality this book was so much more.

Thank you Netgalley as well as Hodder and Stoughton for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

(This review will also be posted to my goodreads, as well as a version to my IG (@krisreadstt) as soon as I can take a picture to do it even slight justice within the next few days).

FOUL LADY FORTUNE. Wow. What the fuck. Chloe Gong has once again left me with a heartwrenching, breathtaking, suspenseful ending that makes me think "I NEED MORE". Please, Chloe Gong, inject this into my bloodstream because I have now found my two new chaos bestie gremlins - Oliver and Phoebe Hong, who are just...marvellous, hilarious, monster babies that made me fall in love with them (Alisa deserves a special mention here).

I think booktwt knows that Chloe is known for her special wit and breakneck murder in her books, and I can promise you that this lives up to THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS., if not exceeding my expectations -- action, murder, sexy hair, it's got it all.

I can't wait for book two!

I was given an e-book ARC of this book, courtesy of NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Foul Lady Fortune is, at its core, a spy novel, with a twist. The story follows Rosalind, a Chinese Nationalist Agent and assassin - Code name: FORTUNE. But as well as being a spy, Rosalind also has some unique 'abilities.'
When her latest mission pairs her up with Orion Hong, another spy and the son of a Chinese General accused of treason, the two must work together to track the source behind a series of strange murders in Shanghai.

So firstly, I would like to preface this review by saying that I haven't read any of Chloe Gong's previous books, and I understand that this story follows on from those. Therefore, there might have been a few aspects of this story that I may not have understood fully. However, this did not affect my enjoyment of the book. (Although I may now have to go away and read some others written by Ms Gong!).

The book started really strong - the first couple of chapters were fast paced, did a great job of introducing the MC and gave the reader a bit of action and suspense right out of the gate. The characters were introduced well in the first few chapters, and well developed throughout the story. Both Rosalind and Orion had back-stories that I felt were well summarised at the start.

The story does reference characters and plot lines from Gong's previous book throughout - again, I think a reader would benefit from having read these beforehand, but it did not affect my enjoyment of the book, nor did it seem absolutely essential to have read them first. I could still follow the key points of the story without reading (nor knowing anything particularly about) Gong's previous books.

The writing style and flow was done well - although I did feel that some parts were a little too descriptive and didn't add anything to the story - for example, at one point there was a descriptive passage regarding a tall vase with flowers that was positioned behind one of the characters - this added nothing to the story at all!

For those who enjoy some of the more popular tropes - this book seemed to tick all the boxes! We have the grumpy/sunshine trope - with Rosalind being the grumpy and Orion's cheeky, lighthearted humour as the sunshine. There is forced proximity alongside the "one bed" trope - when Rosalind and Orion need to keep up the pretence of being a married couple as part of their undercover mission. There is also the very popular "Who did this to you?" trope, and a VERY slow burn love interest.

I'd like to say, without giving away too much of a spoiler, that aspects of this book gave me some "Marvel" vibes - in the sense of chemically transforming humans to give them unique abilities. Isn't this exactly what the Green Goblin does in Spiderman? And how Steve Rogers becomes Captain America? I did really enjoy this aspect of the book - I only wish there was more of it!

There was mention of Rosalind's abilities right from the start, but then it wasn't mentioned again until much later! And of course, there was the abilities of the other characters too, but it wasn't really fully explained until the last 20% of the book either. So this was disappointing for me.

There were sections of this book where the pacing was a little slow and the story quite complicated for me. There was LOTS of information about the political aspect of the story - and I did find it difficult to keep track of who was who, who was working for who, and why? With all the agents, handlers, code-names, double agents, triple agents, factions and hidden identities, everything got a little bit confused somewhere along the line! The positive you get from this is by the end, things sort-of get wrapped up and concluded to a certain extent, but there are some questions that are left unanswered - I'm guessing all will be revealed in book 2?

Confusing political points of this book aside, I did really enjoy it! I think, for me, a re-read would be beneficial if only to get my head around some of the political aspects of the story. I would definitely recommend this book, to anyone who likes spy thrillers with a slow-burn romance aspect.

If I could give a book 10 stars, it would be this one. Thank you so much to Hodder & Stoughton for the gifted arc and a huge thank you to Chloe Gong for this book.

The book takes place in 1931 Shanghai, and Rosalind works as Fortune (or Lady Fortune), a Nationalist assassin who is effectively immortal, and cannot die by any means other than poison. She goes undercover with fellow Nationalist agent, Orion, and together they are tasked with solving a serial murder case haunting the streets of the city. Pitched as a speculative historical noir, the thriller aspects stood out, and the Shakespearean inspiration was clear and enjoyable. I’m personally a massive Shakespeare fan, and seeing the elements of As You Like It come to life in a historical thriller was fascinating. While you don’t need any knowledge of the play to enjoy FLF, it’s definitely an added element of enjoyment.

One of my favourite things about Gong’s books are the politics – they’re fleshed out and messy (and historically accurate), and it was very interesting to examine how the politics fit in with the characters’ individual motivations. The book was also tightly plotted, and the character development and plot development fitted seamlessly with each other. Pacing was good, and I enjoyed the variety of characters we got to meet.

And speaking of characters, the main cast was wonderful! I may be biased because I’ve adored Rosalind’s character since TVD, but she’s definitely the star of the show. In mourning from the events of TVD, we see a vastly different Rosalind than in the previous duology, but her development (both from TVD and throughout FLF) was really well done. The other characters are also fantastic and have such a special place in my heart, but Rosalind was my favourite. In saying that, I do have a huge soft spot for Phoebe.

The representation was another thing that made this book so special. While I can’t speak to the portrayal of Chinese characters, or other queer characters, and will leave those aspects to be reviewed by Ownvoice readers, the aspec (on the asexual/aromantic spectrums) representation was fantastic. It’s small, but there are two characters who are undeniably on the page aspec. While the terms aren’t used, because it’s historical fiction, the characters are demisexual and aroace, and it was really refreshing to see these two rarely-shown identities in fiction.

I would highly recommend this book to fans of These Violent Delights, but also to fans of historical thrillers, or Shakespearean retellings.

Thank you so much to Hodder & Stoughton, Netgalley, and Chloe Gong for the advanced copy, received in exchange for an honest review!

Wow, just wow!
Foul Lady Fortune was one of my most anticipated reads this year with its gorgeous cover and attention-grabbing blurb and I was not left disappointed.
From the first line, I was immediately captivated. This book had everything I love from fake marriage to grumpy/sunshine to who hurt you. The plot flowed at a comfortable pace and at times left me stunned with its unexpected twists, and the characters (to me) were perfect with their flaws and at times ineptitude.
Although Foul Lady Fortune is a spin-off from the These Violent Delights duology I don't feel that it is essential to read them first to understand the story.

Chloe Gong’s writing is so incredibly immersive that the minute you open this book, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into 1930s Shanghai.

I loved the These Violent Delights duology and wasn’t sure how this would measure up. There’s always a risk that a spin-off will be too similar or too different but Foul Lady Fortune falls perfectly in the middle.

The overall vibe was very similar. Chloe Gong’s books read very like action movies with lots of intricate world-building and a vast political system. Everything was really well explained but never info-dumped. Because there is so much detail, there is a risk for the book to feel slow but almost every chapter ended on a cliffhanger that drew you into the next one.

I really loved the returning characters. Rosalind, Celia, and Alisa were some of my favorite characters in TVD and I loved seeing how they were adjusting to life after the events of Our Violent Ends. Our new characters were great too. Orion was really well fleshed out, and I loved Phoebe, Silas, and Oliver. The dynamic between Rosalind and Orion was spot on and I liked seeing their different skills and personalities play off each other. I really loved the queer representation. Orion and Phoebe are bi-sexual, Rosalind is demi-sexual, Celia is trans, Alissa is aro/ace, and I believe Silas is also queer. The rep is brought in in a way that, although it’s not a big deal to our characters, you can tell it’s still considered something dangerous in the wider world.

The assassin/spy dynamic was a lot of fun and I loved the new supernatural twist, with Rosalind’s immortality. It felt very X-Men-ish. The plot, while reminiscent of TVD, was really twisty and kept me on the edge of my seat.

I will say, although you can technically read this without having read the TVD duology, I wouldn’t recommend it. You would miss so much of the backstory for half of the characters and the world itself.

This is another new favorite from Chloe Gong and puts her firmly on my favorite authors list. I can’t wait for the sequel.

Content warnings (as noted by the author): blood, violence, murder, weapon use, needles, description of human experimentation, descriptions of war, descriptions of head injury.

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2022, and I am still in awe that I got an arc, and devoured the book in less than a day. The subtle nods to tvd and ove were obvious, but it isn't necessary to remember everything, as the major plot points were explained, and so I thought flf worked well as a standalone.

Whilst I loved tvd and ove, I definitely think flf was my favourite so far. There was so much growth, and emotional depth in the story, especially with Rosalind, but also dealing with grief and finding your place without your loved ones and everything you're familiar with, that made me even more involved in the story.

I was so drawn by the way every character was written and the atmosphere was slowly built up, that I didn't want the book to end. The chemistry and tension between Rosalind and Orion was perfect. I loved how they bounced off of each other in every interaction, the same for Celia and Oliver.

It was nice to see old character's making a return, but also be introduced to new ones, Alisa was one of my favourite characters in tvd / ove and it was great to see more of her and her growth.

The beginning takes a while to pick up, but once it does, there is a lot of action, with plot twists everywhere. Some of the plot twists were easy to figure out, as there were subtle hints planted in the story, but some genuinely had me screaming. I am excited to see how the story develops and everything ties up, but also know my heart will probably be broken again in the sequel.

Foul Lady Fortune was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, so my expectations were high and it is safe to say that those expectations were met and surpassed.

The story is set a few years after the events of Our Violent Ends and we follow Rosalind Lang— who is now immortal and seeking redemption by working as an assassin for the Nationalists under the codename “Fortune”. We also meet Orion Hong— a fellow Nationalist spy whose fame as a playboy and constant jokes annoy Rosalind to no end. The two are coerced into a fake marriage for the sake of a mission that will uncover the truth behind mysterious deaths. This time spent together will uncover secrets that the both of them have been hiding from each other.

I was hooked on this book from the first page. It is physically impossible to put down as the story just keeps drawing you in with every page turn, especially the last one hundred pages or so when the plot twists and answers just keep coming and coming. After turning the final page I had to sit for a minute and process everything that had just happened. Chloe Gong is a master at leaving subtle clues and letting you guess what will happen in the end, but even if you guess correctly, there is always a twist meant to keep you entertained and on your toes.

Although this book is not historical, it plays with the history of Shanghai beautifully. So much was happening in the city and the way bits and pieces of information were spread as the story developed made the historical elements easier to comprehend and digest. There is so much history in Shanghai and I hope Chloe Gong continues as its storyteller. She writes Shanghaiwith so much love and care that I always find myself researching the events mentioned in her books, desperate to know more.

Immediately after finishing Our Violent Ends in November of last year, I was a bit sad with the conclusion of Rosalind’s story because it felt incomplete. Everything was explained beautifully in the book and it had a nice conclusion, but there was a missing puzzle piece and Foul Lady Fortune is that missing piece. It brings closure to the character of Rosalind in These Violent Delights while not letting it go completely because trauma stays with us forever, to a lesser extent, but it stays.

I literally have no words to describe Orion. He instantly became one of my favorite characters and I believe his story is one of the best that Chloe has written. I can’t say much about him but trust me, Orion Hong will steal your heart.

Alisa was another character I was greatly surprised with. In These Violent Delights she was only known as Roma’s sister and played a very minor role but I loved her regardless, so you can imagine my excitement when I heard that she was going to be one of the main characters featured in Foul Lady Fortune. She did not disappoint. The growth from These Violent Delights Alisa to Foul Lady Fortune Alisa is big, she is a completely different person while keeping the essence of the character we knew and this growth went with the story naturally.

As for the rest of the characters, I must say that I was amazed by how easily they blended in with the characters we knew and loved from These Violent Delights, I found myself caring equally about them all, which oftentimes is hard to do since we have more of an attachment to characters we knew previously. I can’t wait to see more of them in Foul Lady Fortune 2.

While I do not think it is necessary to read These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends to understand the story (given that most of the events in those books are summarized into short paragraphs to give context in certain situations), I would strongly recommend reading them beforehand as it adds depth to the story.

Foul Lady Fortune will be released on September 27th in the UK, United States and Canada, and on October 1st in Australia and New Zealand.

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for a Digital Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was amazing, easily 5/5

But first of all, thank you so much Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for a review!

This book follows Rosalind and Orion as they pose as a married couple in their new spying operation for the Nationalists, along with some other characters [known to us from TVD as well as manny new ones].

My perception of Rosalind changed a lot comparing to what I thought of her in OVE - she is my second or third FLF character now, after Alisa ofc. I absolutely loved the a-spec representation in this book)

The romance was so good, and with the amazing plot this book was a masterpiece. There were so many plot twists that I absolutely didn’t see coming, I just sat open-mouthed multiple times, having no idea where any of it is going. All this was well balanced with comedy, so I laughed a lot while reading it)
THAT ENDING THOUGH… how are we supposed to wait for the second book with THIS?!

Anyway, FLF was one of my two most anticipated releases of the year, and it definitely didn’t disappoint. EVERYONE GO PREORDER IT RN IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘰𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘳 & 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊.⠀
⠀
Foul Lady Fortune is set in Shanghai in 1931, four years after the events of our violent ends, and tells the story of Rosalind Lang, a murderer, spy, and immortal. Rosalind is assigned to investigate a series of murders in Shanghai, so she disguises herself as the wife of another Nationalist spy, Orion Hong.⠀
⠀
I enjoyed the beginning; I was quickly drawn in and thought Rosalind was a great character to follow, and the author made a wise decision to write her story with such an intriguing premise. And I was expecting this book to be even better than the previous duology. In fact, I hate that I didn't enjoy it; in other words, I was bored to tears while reading it. The writing style is sluggish, with too many characters told, which blurs the storyline. Rosalind's main goal is also unclear; rather than being a spy with astute actions in carrying out her mission, I found a lot of confusion and laughed at the ridiculous execution; I’m sorry. I struggled to finish this book without rolling my eyes every time the story led to the side characters and their unnecessary backstory.⠀
⠀
I also found it difficult to relate to Rosalind and Orion, the main characters in this book, because the author seemed befuddled by the direction of their story after having written so many characters and the history of Shanghai during the Japanese colonial conflict.⠀
⠀
However, If you enjoyed the previous duology, you should read this one, which comes out on September 27, 2022 🙂⠀
⠀
_ _ _⠀
⠀

Everything that Chloe Gong writes is exceptional. Foul Lady Fortune has exceeded expectations- Rosalind Lang is a fierce character that has been written so well. The plot is so well put together you can’t help but feel immersed in the storyline, impatiently waiting for the second book in the duology now

After loving These Violent Delights duology with all my heart, I was hesitant about this book. But I shouldn't have worried. Once again Chloe delivers an incredible, complex story with a fantastic set of characters and plot twists around every corner. To be honest, I wasn't sure I was going to love Rosalind after the events of Our Violent Ends, but this book totally changed my mind. You can see how she blames herself for what happened and wants to make amends.

“More than anything in the world, Rosalind Lang wanted redemption, and if this was how she got it, then so be it.”

So, chapter after chapter I came to understand her and grew fond of her. Besides, her slow-burn relationship with Orion was so beautifully developed that I loved them from the beginning. Trust me, these two are going to give you lots of feels.

“Your life is mine as mine is yours.”

I also loved the other characters, their personality and interactions. But I don't want to spoil too much. Last but not least, the historical background and the whole plot were masterfully developed, with intrigues and twists that will leave you open-mouthed. Not to mention the ending. I just need the sequel now.

So yes, Foul Lady Fortune meets every expectations and confirms how talented Chloe is.

This really wasn't my thing and I hate that. After a couple of chapters in, I had completely lost the storyline, and I had no clue what was happening. There were simply too many characters for me, and not nearly enough information. This kept happening until the end of the book, which made me dread it a little to pick up.

An absolutely wild, gorgeous rush of adrenalin. It took me a little while to get into this one, and to unravel the various factions (although this is the start of a new duology, you definitely need to read Gong’s other book first and preferably have it all clear in your mind!) Once I was in though I was utterly hooked.

I absolutely loved Rosalind’s character, and the romantic tension between her and Orion was spectacular. In fact, all of the characters in this book are fantastically drawn and I ended up having so much affection for them. The plotting was pacy and there were so many twists and turns it left me breathless - the action sequences felt cinematic, the whole book reads incredibly visually, and that’s a testament to Gong’s richly imagined, luxurious world building. I just loved it and now I am quite stressed out that I have to wait for the next book!

I cannot help but love anything that Chloe Gong writes, she hooks you in and makes you want to keep reading. Foul Lady Fortune is no different, I don't want to spoil anything but WOW. Rosalind Lang IS BACK. It is fantastic to get to see what happened next to her. I cannot express how much I enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the second in the duology!

Thank you for the ARC!

This book was just wow. I am absolutely speechless and I just know that I would be thinking about this book for a long long time.

In the beginning of the book, I was a little bit slow on trying to grasp the plot and I did get confused from time to time. I am not sure if the fact that I haven’t read the these violent delights duology affected that, but once I did undesirable everything I could not stop reading. I just had to know what happens next.

The characters were easy to love and I got attached to them immediately. I cannot pick a favorite character because all of them had their own unique charms that really made my reading experience.The found family trope is my weakness, and I adored the relationship of the characters to one another. I do hope in the next book we get more of Oliver and Celia with them.

Now, let’s talk about the romance in this book. This book definitely delivered on romance. There were three different love stories followed and all of them were equally interesting. First is Celia and Oliver, they were lovely together. We did not really see much of them in this book, but every moment they did had me smiling like a maniac. Next is Phoebe and Silas, I ADORE THEM! They’re dynamics are the best. I do have a soft spot for Silas, he’s been inlove with her ever since and would do anything for her. He’s also very awkward and I think it’s so cute. And last but definitely not the least, ROSALIND AND ORION. Chloe Gong put all the best tropes and expected me to be okay? FAKE MARRIAGE TROPE? check! REVERSE GRUMPY SUNSHINE? check! WHO DID THIS TO YOU? check! DO NOT TOUCH MY WIFE? check! They gave me so much butterflies and made me giggle like a schoolgirl with all their scenes.

And now let’s move on to the plot of the book. I was trying to solve the mystery with them as I go and I definitely did not expect that. I found the mystery of who is killer and why they were doing it so captivating. Towards the end of the book it was just plot twist after plot twist and none of them I saw coming.

“Foul Lady Fortune” has everything I want in a boom and more. It had the perfect amount of action, mystery and romance that had me excited for every next page. I will not be able to move on from this book for a while and I can’t wait for the next book already.