*** Warning! This is the sequel to the wonderful installment These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong so the following review may contain spoilers! ***

First of all; WOW. This book is absolutely amazing! It has action, plot twists and, of course, enemies-to-lovers (well, to be honest, their relationship is just a tad more complicated than that ;)

I must confess that while I did enjoy reading These Violent Delights, it isn’t one of my favorite books, but it in Our Violent Ends, the author has really stepped up a level because this book is absolutely impossible to put down. Just when you think you know what’s going to happen, everything changes. This book made me feel all the right feels; giddiness, frustration (especially that!) and so much more. Chloe Gong really manages to keep the reader on their toes on every single page. A fair warning; this work is influenced by the works of Shakespeare so prepare yourself for immense heartbreak.

If you haven’t read These Violent Delights, you absolutely should! And if you have, then Our Violent Ends should definitely be at the top of your tbr-list.

***I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley (thank you Hodder & Stoughton!) in exchange for a honest review.***

Nobody is having a good time in 1927 Shanghai. Roma wholeheartedly believed that Juliette killed Marshall, and Juliette’s letting it happen. Benedikt mourning the loss of a dear friend and someone he loved. Rosalind and Kathleen are sisters who drifted apart. The Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers, though powerful in These Violent Delights, are starting to crumble. With foreign powers coming in, the tension between the Communists and the Nationalists, and the uprising of a revolution, where does the blood feud stand? Is it even that important that Shanghai’s reality is on the brink of being overturned?

Adding onto that, the madness can be controlled now. Someone is working behind the scenes to terrorize the people of Shanghai. They are strategically releasing the insects and killing citizens without care. A blackmailer threatens to devour the gangs if they don’t comply with money and weapons. Roma and Juliette are forced into each other’s paths again.

Juliette’s morality and identity were continuously questioned throughout Our Violent Ends. She recognized the horrendous impact of the madness and a potential civil war on the normal Shanghainese people but the higher-ups refused to listen to her when she tries to do the right thing. Within, Juliette’s struggling with her feelings for Roma. The pivotal moment in which she comes to terms with her conflicted emotions left me stunned. I couldn’t believe Juliette would do something like that. Chloe Gong made me feel bad for that person!! How?! Feeling guilt that Roma brought Juliette back into his life which resulted in the death of Marshall, Roma steeled his heart against anything related to Juliette. He vowed to kill her. As we all know, there’s a thin line between love and hate.

Benedikt has been miserable since the death of Marshall. Not knowing that truth, he came out of his mourning period feeling vengeful and pissed at Juliette. I can probably say this for every These Violent Delights fan: FINALLY, BENEDIKT AND MARSHALL TALKED ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS FOR ONE ANOTHER. I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS. 🙌🙌🥰🥰

Although Kathleen and Rosalind are minor characters, I enjoyed following their perspectives. Kathleen’s ultimate decision to give everything up and fight for a cause she personally believed in just showed how tired she was. However, I wished Rosalind’s parts were fleshed out more because it basically showed how things were moved.

When I was reading Our Violent Ends, I totally forgot that it was a Romeo and Juliet retelling. Chloe Gong just transported me back into 1927 Shanghai with such ease that I never contemplated how the original tale ended. You know, Romeo is “dying” and then Juliet actually dying thinking that the love of her life is dead. How Chloe Gong spun that ending got me reeling. I didn’t think my heart could handle it.

My final take: READ THIS DUOLOGY. No regrets. I just want more

Our Violent Ends was an explosive end to a fantastic duology. I devoured the book in just a few days and, just like the first book, it captivated me. I was constantly thinking about the characters and the world and I could daydream for hours about it all. Juliette and Roma’s dangerous world of gangs, monsters and flapper girls in glittering dresses consumed me.

Characters
Juliette was a tough and ruthless character in These Violent Delights but cracks start to show in the veneer. We get to see a Juliette who makes mistakes and loses the trust of the ones around her. She has to work hard to prove herself as a worthy heir of the Scarlet Gang but her actions aren’t always enough. I loved seeing an imperfect heroine on page who works twice as hard to keep everyone she loves safe. She goes through some fantastic character development and leaves some of her arrogance behind.

Roma has undergone the most character development, in my opinion. He goes from a seemingly vulnerable character who is reluctant in his violence, to a strong and determined fighter. He becomes what Juliette used to be and it pains us, as the reader, to see his ruthlessness surface in the aftermath of heartbreak. This is a tragedy after all. Roma and Juliette contrast and complement one another so well. When the one stumbles, the other seems to thrive and it was great to see them both interact with one another in this instalment.

BEN AND MARS! I adored Benedikt and Marshall in this book so much. They were such a delight to read about! The twists and turns their storyline takes had me at the edge of my seat, not wanting to read further but also needing to know what happens. Their individual characters really came through and their scenes were rife with emotion.

Rosalind and Kathleen take on a bigger role in this book and it was fascinating to see their sisterly bond change and develop as they move into different paths in life. Both these characters gained more depth and complexity and I loved seeing them more fleshed out on page.

Overall, Gong has constructed well rounded and developed characters that have grown so much since the first book came out. It’s a shame that we won’t be meeting some of them in future spin-off instalments anymore.

Rep: Chinese, Transgender, LGBTQ, Korean

10/10

Atmosphere
Just like in These Violent Delights, Chloe Gong manages to capture the atmosphere of a specific scene excellently. Through her vivid words, you feel the angst, terror and yearning bounce off the page. By the end of the book I was so emotional and on the edge of my seat, my heart beating a mile a minute. I stopped every few pages to catch my breath. Her descriptions are vivid and so detailed. It was easy picture the scenes before my eyes as I was reading and it completely enthralled me.

10/10

Writing Style
Since I read These Violent Delights about a year ago, it took me some time to get used to Gong’s particular writing style. The first few chapters were quite dense but once I got back into the story, the words flowed off the page and I couldn’t stop reading. She has an engaging and magnetic style that pulls you in and only lets you go once you’ve finished the book. Once again, I cannot wait for my physical copy to arrive so I can annotate my favourite passages.

I did notice, however, that certain scenes felt a bit repetitive, especially the emotional outbursts between certain characters. I wish there was more differentiation between them.

The world building and historical setting was, once again, executed with the greatest care. It felt like I was living in the 1920’s through Gong’s lush descriptions and detailed research.

9/10

Plot
The plot picks up almost immediately where the previous book left us. Since the second half of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ has an increase in action, the plot in Our Violent Ends becomes much more complex. It was, once again, fascinating to trace the small references to the original play all throughout the book and, knowing the end, the suspense was dialled up to 100.

I do think, however, that the plot was a bit too similar to that of the first book. I found the second hunt for the monster to be less compelling because it felt like I had seen it all before. But the political and historical undertones definitely made up for it.

Of course Gong is fairly restricted by actual historical events and has to make her supernatural tale flow seamlessly with history. The two aspects of the story were woven together with precision. The tensions built between the rising revolutionary conflict and the Shakespearian plot was so excellently crafted.

10/10

Intrigue
Because the plot was fairly similar to the first book, I knew that the villain of the story would be someone I didn’t expect and I was right. I was taken aback by the betrayal and the foreshadowing was excellently plotted. All the clues were laid out in front of me. All I had to do is construct the puzzle to see who the culprit was in the end.

Since this is a retelling of a well-known play, the ending was already known to most of us which made reading it a tense affair. But Gong manages to surprise us even though we know what might happen.

10/10

Logic
The story was well rounded off in the end and the ending was sufficiently open and satisfying. I did get very emotional, however, and this book did make me cry a little. I am happy with how it ended and it gives us a lot of avenues to explore in the upcoming spin-off series.

10/10

Enjoyment
In conclusion, I love this duology with all my heart. Chloe Gong knows how to captivate you and keep you on the edge of your seat. I am sad that this chapter of the story is over but I am happy with how it ended. It was such an enjoyable and entertaining reading experience. I truly enjoyed this duology more than any series I’ve read in the past few months. I was so engrossed in reading that I forgot the world around me. Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov and their longing stares across rooms are my new obsession. Gong’s world is so captivating and just want more and more.

I am beyond excited to see what Chloe Gong does in future. She has been added to my auto-buy author list and I am just in awe of her skill and imagination.

10/10

AVERAGE CAWPILE RATING – 9.8/10

OMG this book is so FREAKING GOOD. Now that I got that out of my system I can start the review.

Starting with a bit of a time jump from book 1, the feud of the White Flowers and the Scarlet Gang is ramped up. The always captivating premise puts us into the action right away. With the threat of the monster returning and the taste of upcoming war in the air, Juliette and Roma are forced to work together.

You watch them being hate-fuelled enemies in this unpleasant circumstance of unwanted proximity. Well we know Juliette is just acting the part. Roma is teetering on that line where love and hate seep into each other, for he doesn't know the truth about Marshall and we are all waiting for that reveal with bated breath (will not spoil). Things are explosive between them, as explosive as it is between the gangs, and boy do we love reading their encounters.

The plot of the returning monster is actually quite good and makes sense, not just an excuse for their team up in the sequel. The political machinations are not just page fillers, they have meaning. And we must not forget the nods to our favorite star-crossed love story, where the author takes them and molds them into what is needed for this undeniably amazing story.

The descriptions and figurative speech are done so well, simultaneously imaginative and to the point. Dialogue and emotions true to the characters they are appointed to. An appropriate word to describe Gong's writing is mesmerizing. The way she puts words together makes you feel so much. It gets under your skin in a good way. I wanted to scream at the book so many times. And even more times I brought my hand to my chest like I could hold my heart. I also cheered and clapped in sheer excitement.

Themes examined in this book are: society and people's places in it that entrap them into certain roles, the struggle for power and how it consumes, and last but not least how love is worth fighting for.

Chloe Gong is a master storyteller and the way the story unfolds shows us just that. The wonderful pacing that is either heartstopping or heart-bleeding, the emotional turbulence, the inevitable suspense and intrigue, the unpredictable twists and turns. Wow cannot cover the brilliance of this book.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC through NetGalley for Our Violent Ends and it was by far one of my most anticipated reads of the year!

Oh. My. Godddds! I loved These Violent Delights but this BOOKK! It had me laughing thanks to the return of one of my favourite female MCs, I cried, I gasped, I oo’ed and ahh’ed and was completely broken by the end of this book. Please please if you haven’t already go and give this duology a read you will not regret it, I haven’t seen a Romeo and Juliet retelling done better than this.

We pick up around 3 months after the evens of These Violent Ends and it was a whirlwind from the first page. We dive straight back into the chaos and mayhem with the blood feud between the White Flowers and the Scarlets at its breaking point. Whilst navigating their territories the long lost threat of book one slowly starts to creep back in again, there were so many twists and turns that I didn’t expect and it really kept me on my toes until the end

I was living for the little family moments especially between Juliette and Kathleen and Roma and his sister and Benedict. So much of these books surround the blood feud between the families that it was nice to have these moments of levity in these relationships. Peak enemies to lovers vibes again? Absolutely, I LOVE Roma and Juliette and their constant push and pull throughout both books. Having multiple perspectives throughout as well really let you get into the heads of the characters and the reasonings behind their decisions.

Once again in this book you can really see the amount of thought and research that has gone into lacing the historical and cultural aspects of Shanghai into this story. Chloe Gong really hits the mark with the dedication you can see that went into creating this world. I also feel wanted to take a moment to say how much I loved Chloe’s writing style, it flows so seamlessly and it’s rare you get books that have good plots amazing characters and beautiful writing all at the same time!

So with that I will say - old emotions come bubbling too the surface and the threat they thought had left them comes back with a vengeance. Lies of omission threaten to tear apart these two warring families. Can they survive their monsters a second time and will we get our happy, or violent ending?? Please go read it!!

I really enjoyed These Violent Delights earlier in the year despite that ridiculous cliffhanger – so now is a great time to pick up both books in the duology. There’s a lot going on – monsters in Shanghai, not to mention the lovers to enemies to reluctant partners to lovers and back to enemies again romance (and that’s just the first book) – but ultimately it’s an action packed duology with plenty of depths. If you like YA fantasy that actually pokes at gender inequality and colonialism, and includes multiple queer characters despite the historical setting, I’d highly recommend this series.

Our Violent Ends is a thrilling ride – it took a little bit to get going (and possibly spent a little too long rehashing character dynamics from book one), but once the plot kicked off I binged the last 50 per cent in a single evening, and couldn’t put it down. Gong really captures the complexities of 1920s Shanghai, even before you add monsters to the equation; everyone’s loyalties are constantly shifting, and the broader political tensions of the era intersect with the more localised gang conflict in a meaningful way. Juliette and Roma both love Shanghai and hate what it has become after decades of colonial interference, and the scenes where they debate whether it is worth saving are some of the most hard-hitting.

This is Juliette’s story – she is by far the most fleshed-out character – and I found her fascinating to spend time with. She’s violent, often reckless, and quick to anger, but I wouldn’t really call her an anti-heroine (even if I was surprised by how far she pushed the limits in the sequel). It’s pretty clear she is just making all of her moral choices in the context of her tumultuous upbringing and how far she has been pushed. The other characters are a lot of fun to be around even if they are not quite as engaging, and I am very excited for news of a standalone sequel potentially starring one of my favourite side characters in this series.

I do have one complaint which feels a little harsh, which is that I really wish this had been an adult book – and I really think Gong is capable of writing a great one, despite only being in her early 20s. I simply couldn’t believe the strength of Roma and Juliette’s love for each other – a love that started when they were 14, per the series’ timeline – which meant that a lot of the romance scenes didn’t quite land for me (an important part of any Romeo and Juliet retelling!). I also had to keep mentally aging the characters up in my head because otherwise some of the plot elements felt somewhat far-fetched, particularly the extent to which several grown men were scared of or went along with the whims of an 18 year old woman. I am fully aware that I am outside the target age range, however – and accept that as my lot.

The ending is appropriately bittersweet: it’s a Romeo and Juliet retelling, so I hope no one was expecting a perfectly happy ending. But it’s satisfying and rounds out the story nicely, particularly after some of the high stakes scenes in the middle. And it leaves open the possibility of more stories in this world, which I’m definitely looking forward to.

Our Violent Ends!!

“𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔,“ 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅, “𝑶𝒇 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒆.“

This gorgeous duology is a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet set in 1920’s Shanghai.

These Violent Delights introduces readers to protagonists Roma and Juliette and their rival gangs the Scarlets and White Flowers. Our Violent Ends picks up right after a shocking cliffhanger ending.

Roma and Juliette continue their cold relationship and love hatred relationship. A new monster threatens the city and its people, and the pair are forced to work together once again - this time to put a stop to the bloodshed once and for all. However, tension is rising between both their gangs and as heirs they are both torn between love and loyalty.

I love Roma and Juliet in this book. The dynamic between the duo is fascinating and their lovers to enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers chemistry is on point!

My latest #bookboyfriend = Roma

A deliciously dark retelling- full of action and thrill. As all the work building was done on book one, the sequel went by at a faster pace, leading to a fabulous end and I definitely enjoyed it more. A lot more focus was put on the relationships and characters and thus I felt much more invested in this.

The writer did a great job in building atmosphere and intrigue. The setting and 1920’s era was captivating! The writing truly vivid and absolutely enthralling.

Highly recommend ♥️✨✨✨✨

Author: Chloe Gong
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Age Range: Young Adult
Format: E-Book (ARC)
Published: 16th November 2021
Pages: 494
Rating: 5 Stars

Goodreads Synopsis

Shanghai is under siege in this captivating and searingly romantic sequel to These Violent Delights, which New York Times bestselling author Natasha Ngan calls “deliciously dark.”

The year is 1927, and Shanghai teeters on the edge of revolution.

After sacrificing her relationship with Roma to protect him from the blood feud, Juliette has been a girl on the warpath. One wrong move, and her cousin will step in to usurp her place as the Scarlet Gang’s heir. The only way to save the boy she loves from the wrath of the Scarlets is to have him want her dead for murdering his best friend in cold blood. If Juliette were actually guilty of the crime Roma believes she committed, his rejection might sting less.

Roma is still reeling from Marshall’s death, and his cousin Benedikt will barely speak to him. Roma knows it’s his fault for letting the ruthless Juliette back into his life, and he’s determined to set things right—even if that means killing the girl he hates and loves with equal measure.

Then a new monstrous danger emerges in the city, and though secrets keep them apart, Juliette must secure Roma’s cooperation if they are to end this threat once and for all. Shanghai is already at a boiling point: The Nationalists are marching in, whispers of civil war brew louder every day, and gangster rule faces complete annihilation. Roma and Juliette must put aside their differences to combat monsters and politics, but they aren’t prepared for the biggest threat of all: protecting their hearts from each other.

CAWPILE

Characters – 10
Atmosphere – 9
Writing Style – 9
Plot – 8
Intrigue – 9
Logic – 9
Enjoyment – 10

Overall: 9.1

Review

Trigger Warnings: Violence, Blood, Gore, Death, and Murder.

This review may contain spoilers.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley, however, this in no way influenced my opinion. Thank you to the publisher Hodder and Stoughton for providing me with a copy.

In all honesty, I feel like no review I write could do this book justice, it was such an incredible and heart-breaking read. This was one of my most anticipated releases for this year and it 100% lived up to my expectations. Similarly, to These violent Delights, my favourite aspect of this was the relationship between Roma and Juliette – in the beginning of the novel Roma is no longer on speaking terms with Juliette due to him believing that she killed Marshall. They begin to grow close again and I said this in my review of These Violent Delights but the chemistry and angst between these two characters is so well-written. Seeing Marshall and Benedikt reunite and confess how they felt about one another made me so happy and I have my fingers crossed that they appear in Foul Lady Fortune. I absolutely loved the writing style in this novel, it’s completely immersive. The plot of this had me so gripped from the beginning and I honestly flew through it as I wanted to know what would happen next. Reading the last 20% was genuinely such a stressful experience as there was so much going on. The plot twists were also incredible and they all left me so shocked. There were also several times throughout this book where I sobbed (mainly the ending but I’m trying to keep this as spoiler-free as possible), there’s one scene where Roma and Juliette exchange vows and it was honestly such a beautifully written scene. Now, let’s talk about the ending (I’ll try to be as vague as possible) but it’s absolutely heart-wrenching, I expected it considering that this is a Romeo and Juliette retelling, but I was still devastated. There is a little bit of ambiguity in the epilogue so hopefully, we get some more information about that in Foul Lady Fortune.

Overall, this was an incredibly well-written and heart-wrenching YA Historical Fantasy novel with a compelling plot and unexpected twists. I can’t wait to read Foul Lady Fortune which is being released next year.

**** eARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ****


If you enjoyed These Violent Delights you are going to LOVE this. In my opinion book two is the superior of the two, I thoroughly enjoyed this, I didn’t want it to end.

The pacing was amazing, I never found myself bored. Juliette is a badass and I love Roma. I will definitely read anything Chloe releases.

Miss Chloe Gong. I am sending you my therapy bill. This book BROKE me. I don't even know how to feel. It was the perfect end to the duology. I loved seeing the characters again and loved the continuation. Now to go reread both books and cry all over again because these books have me in a chokehold.

5 STARS

I loved These Violent Delights. I am OBSESSED with Our Violent Ends.

In the sequel, we get to see all the characters from a different side. They are all so well developed, I was fascinated by how much depth even the side characters get. Every relationship feels so real and pure, you cannot NOT love them all.

The plot itself was very well-thought. The beginning seemed a little bit slow, but I quickly forgot about it when the tension started building up. Let's just say... it got crazy really quickly.

And I loved the way you could FEEL it was a retelling. From the beginning, till the end, this was the best Romeo and Juliet retelling I have read. The characters - so similar, and yet so different. The quotes - clearly taken from the original, but twisted a little bit to fit the story. Absolutely beautiful.

All the themes of this book connect nicely, giving this story an extremely powerful meaning. This is one of those books where after you're finished, you just sit there, speechless, and think about life.

I am once again left shocked and heartbroken. Everything was so beautifully written and planned, I am in awe.

This book… safe to say that it destroyed me. Made me cry and want to throw my iPad (eArc) across the room.
I really enjoyed These Violent Delights but I LOVED Our Violent Ends. For me, this one was so much better than the first book.
I can’t really say anything about the plot because everything would be a huge spoiler but let’s just say that this book has nothing for me to criticize.
Both main characters were absolutely amazing and I love them with my whole heart. Please I need a boyfriend like Roma and a best friend like Juliette. They’re both so fierce and protective of their loved ones. My other two absolute favorites were Marshall and Benedikt… these two have my heart too. Each character had their own journey that I loved to follow because they all showed growth. I also loved how this book was heavier with political views and showed more of the feud between the two gangs. The plot twist destroyed me, I was honestly shocked, did not see it coming at all.
We just started talking about Shakespeare in English class and I already love it because every time my teacher mentions Romeo and Juliet my thoughts go to this fantastic retelling that ripped my heart out more than once.
One thing I critized about tvd was the pace… safe to say that the pacing is perfect here. The book was never too slow or too fast, it was simply perfect.
Chloe Gong created an amazing world with fierce characters and beautiful scenery, her writing style just made everything better. I will definitely read every single book she writes and I’ll gladly give her all my money.

TL;DR:

An emotion-wrenching rollercoaster that I wasn’t ready to get off of. Dark, compelling & unputdownable. You’re going to love it.

Chloe. Pal. Buddy. We need to chat when I’ve recovered emotionally from what you just put me through.

BEFORE YOU GO ANY FURTHER, I need to check that you’ve read These Violent Delights because if you ain’t then GTFO outta here and absorb that gem of a book.

If you’ve got this far, then this is what you’re in for:

✨ Still the roaring 20s but make it Shanghai
✨ A monster plague thingy that’s being controlled by some mysterious blackmailer
✨ Lovers turned to haters
✨ A whole bundle of destroyed emotions

So who’ve you got? Well, the main gang is back – Juliette Cai is still a badass babe slapping down the patriarchy one idiot at a time and Roma (love you) is still in love with his mortal enemy. She’s moved up on the Roma Hates You scale after she ‘kills’ his bestie.

Whilst they’re off doing gang things, two major risks are wafting about in the background threatening to cause absolute chaos. On one hand, you got the Nationalists uprising with a threat of civil war and on the other, you’ve got some walloper unleashing The Madness at every opportune whim. Imagine what would happen if the two came to fruition at once? Hmmm, imagine indeed.


This book is up there with my favourite 2021 reads. It had everything I could possibly want in a sequel – characters that actually seem like genuine people, a non-conventional love story, a plot to die for and a setting that I could see in my own noggin.

*chef’s kiss*

And you know what? I’m glad it ended when it did. A sucker-punch straight to the gut. Perfection.

I am a Chloe Gong convert. Hook any future book straight into my veins, please.

Our Violent Ends is on bookshelves right now so you best hop to it, you slacker.

Thank you, NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton, for the eARC of Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong, in exchange for my honest review.

As soon as I finished reading These Violent Delights back in August I knew I needed to get my hands on the sequel ASAP. This duology is a Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920's Shanghai, where two rival gangs are struggling to keep their hold on the city amidst the constant influx of foreigners and the rising power of Communism, all while a monster's threatening the city and spreading a deadly illness. In the middle of this feud, we have Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov, heirs to the gangs, sworn enemies with a very complicated past.

I adored every bit of the first book so I started reading the sequel as soon as I could, and it was somehow better than I expected. Knowing where the first book ended, I was afraid Our Violent Ends would be a bit repetitive and follow the same structure, but I'm so happy I was wrong.

This book expanded on the world and politics a lot more, some of my favourite things from These Violent Ends. Chloe Gong makes Shanghai feel like a character and her descriptions are so vivid I could feel the tension of the political climate as if I were there. The stakes are much higher in this second book, making every plotline feel like it could blow up at any point. You feel the tension in the air and know that nothing's safe.

I somehow managed to fall more in love with every character, and I adored every romance we have. I feel like with enemies to lovers stories, I really have to believe in their situation to buy it, and that 100% happens with this story.

These books have been my favourite of the year so far, simply because I could not stop thinking about them. It's been over a month since I finished Our Violent Ends and I already want to reread both books. They are so rich in their descriptions, so detailed and intricate that it felt like a movie going through my head (I'd love to see an adaptation of this in the future). I got so attached to every character and cared about every single one because they were so well written.

I also loved the direction the monster's story went in. As I said, I was worried it would get a bit repetitive, but Chloe did an amazing job in keeping book one's plots while reinventing them and expanding their scope. I did see some of the twists coming (I can't remember the last book I read where everything came as a surprise) but this did not hinder my enjoyment of the story at all.

Overall, I loved every bit of this book. The action, the characters, the romance, the writing. I was constantly at the edge of my seat and couldn't stop thinking about what was going to happen next. Everything was exactly what I wanted from it and Chloe Gong has established her place as one of my favourite authors. It was heartbreaking, heart racing, and a brilliant conclusion to the story. I can't recommend this series enough.

Our Violent Ends is out now everywhere books are sold, so please go make your way to 1920's Shanghai. I hope you're as enthralled by this story as I was.

Is 2021 the best year for YA fantasy? I definitely think so.

I completely adored the first book in this series by Chloe gong so when I saw this book was available to request I didn’t have a second thought.

This book is a definite 5 star for me just like the first book in the series was, and I imagine will be on a lot of people’s reading lists.

The characters in this series are once. The relationship between Juliette and Roma is so beautifully written it’s truly a masterpiece.

I would highly recommend this book/series to anyone who like Fantasy books, it truly was wonderful

*a big thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review of the book *

Our Violent Ends – Chloe Gong; Review

Thank you to netgalley UK and Chloe Gong for providing a copy ahead of release. This however will not influence my opinion in any way.
This review contains spoilers for these violent delights!

My opinion:

I just finished our violent ends and I am still at a loss for words.
But let’s start at the beginning – shall we?
When I started reading I didn’t know what to expect. Where are Roma and Juliette standing? Do they have to begin their search for the monster anew? Does Roma hate her? How and when will they finally be able to give up all their secrets? Can they save their city?

I really, really enjoyed the book. What I didn’t expect at all was how deeply I cared for the characters. There were a few scenes I almost cried and probably would have hadn’t I been in public. The love story between Roma and Juliette is sooo bittersweet because all that’s really keeping them from one another is the city and the blood feud.
The ending is chaos and tragic and love and all in between. I really did not know how to proceed after finishing the book. And now that I’m writing this review I still don’t know how to properly tell you how much our violent ends moved me.
Juliette is such an impressive character. She isn’t just the heiress of a ganster empire but she really cares for the city and her people. She wants to save every single one of them and though she can be cruel, in a sense of that she knows what she needs to do, she also cares so very deeply.
Roma on the other hand is a softie. Even after everything he still loves Juliette. He is also the heir to a gangster empire but he never wanted to be – which I love.

I also enjoyed the second love story which is hinted at a few times in the first one but really comes to show in this book. It’s also very cute and I loved that those main side characters made Roma and Juliettes characters even more morally grey.

Conclusion:

I love the setting, I’m obsessed with the characters and even though it was much talk of politics I really enjoyed the book. It’s a bittersweet enemies to lovers duology, which isn’t just about the love but about everything in between. For me these violent delights and our violent ends is a beautiful retelling of the classic Romeo&Julia Play by Shakespeare and I recommend it if you want more out of a book than a simple love story.

Our Violent Ends is an epic conclusion to this immersive, gut wrenching duology which Chloe Gong has penned. I felt the full range of emotions reading this book but an overarching one was how bittersweet it felt, I would happily read about these characters and more stories set in this world forevermore and I was just sad it was coming to an end.

Our Violent Ends picks up a few months after the end of the previous novel, with the rift between Roma and Juliette growing stronger despite their clear yearning for it to end as well as their respective gangs and their war getting more ferocious by the day. On top of that we have the threat of the monster and a virus which seems to be spreading like wildfire – add in some political unrest and the stage is set for a truly action packed narrative.

While I definitely feel like the book has a few pacing issues with the thick of the plot where it gets really interesting being concentrated in the latter half of the novel and feeling a tad uneven as a result due to a slower start. One thing is for sure though – there is a bit of something for everyone – a politically charged narrative, a fantasy / horror like twist with the monster element and of course a heady dose of romance. Speaking of romance, there’s so many layers to the yearning and angst in this series and I loved every single moment of it. I loved where Gong took Roma and Juliettes relationship and it really served to strengthen what we loved in These Violent Delights with further dimensions and complexity.

I also loved where Gong takes the characters in this final instalment – I feel like each of the characters gets a chance to really come into their own and somehow she manages to make them even more endearing – don’t get me wrong these characters can and do a lot of questionable things in the pursuit of their goals, and are capable of being ruthless when it comes down to it but you can’t help but love them anyway. The friendships between all the characters, notably between Juliette and Marshall was everything.

I think one of the main questions on readers lips before reading this book would be how Gong would approach the ending of this novel, given how we all know how the original tale concludes. I’m not sure how other readers will feel about how all the many threads in the novel wrap up but I for one, really enjoyed it. It felt true to the tone of the original with it’s sense of deep tragedy but also diverts from this with a sense of possibility too. That’s all I’ll say but if like me you’ve read it already and want someone to scream with about it all then feel free to leave a comment!

Overall, Our Violent Ends was a truly brilliant conclusion that I relished, while I’m definitely sad that Roma and Juliette’s story has come to an end – I’m looking forward to reading what Chloe Gong writes in the future. If this duology is anything to go by then she is definitely a writer to watch out for.

Warning - this review might contain spoilers for these violent delights and our violent ends! Beware.

After reading these violent delights together with Maja we decided that we’re going to read our violent ends together as well. And after pushing it later and later we almost didn’t make it in time for the release day of it 😂 but we did - and HAPPY RELEASE DAY to Our Violent Ends.

This book picks right there up where these violent delights left us - the original monster of Shanghai is dead. But there are more. And Juliette and Roma are once again divided by the blood feud. Where these violent delights was a slow start, our violent ends was quiet the opposite. After picking up the book I almost couldn’t put it down. I really fell back in love with the not so obvious love story between all of the characters.

Let’s start with the main characters:

Juliette has had a glow up from the first book. She chose to protect Roma by “killing” Marshall, and that was a twist in boon 1 I hadn’t seen coming. And every time her and Roma met, you could feel her pain through the lines. Her character development was impressive. How she chose herself and the people she loved before anyone else.

Roma. I really understood his pain and his desire for vengeance at the beginning of the book. During the first half of the book it was clear he still loved Juliette besides every she did and he hated himself for this. His development was kinda slow in my opinion but nonetheless he had a strong turning point.

Even though I knew it was a Romeo and Juliet retelling, I hoped for a different ending. The slow burn of this book made the ending ten times worse. I cried so badly when I finished to book. As far as this is concerned - I am a hopeless romantic. I need a happy ending - for all characters.

This book is another highlight of the year and of the month. 5/5 ⭐️ Well done Chloe Gong ❤️

DNF @ 30%

Unfortunately I couldn't click with this. I enjoyed TVD, but this was a bit long and slow and political for me compared to the fast paced monster hunt of the first book.

Chloe Gong set the bar exceptionally high with her debut THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS, and promptly blows it far above the sky with her conclusive sequel OUR VIOLENT ENDS. After the events of the first book, 1927 Shanghai is now at a boiling point: Nationalists are marching in, whispers of civil war grows louder every day, and gangster rule faces complete annihilation. Both monsters and brewing political tensions loom against Shanghai, and the combined threat is one neither Roma nor Juliette are prepared to face as divided as they are. Hidden intrigues are exposed and sweltering unrest come to the surface as Gong's cast is thoroughly tested.

Aptly named, OUR VIOLENT DELIGHTS leads towards a brutal, emotional, and explosive conclusion to this historical epic that Chloe Gong somehow manages to carve magnificently in the span of two books. Her narrative voice is truly silk against steel, alternating between earnest, heartfelt soul and ruthless, utterly violent terror.

This duology had been an impeccably powerful debut to Chloe Gong's writing journey. I devoured every page of OUR VIOLENT ENDS just as much as I did the first book, and I would definitely love to read her future works.