Thank you so much to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the arc of Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong. Before I start, you need to be aware that Foul Lady Fortune is a spin off from Chloe Gong’s highly successful debut duology – Our Violent Delights/Our Violent Ends. It takes place five years after the end of Our Violent Ends and Shanghai is now a very different place as gang rule has ended and civil war is now in full flight. I would highly recommend reading OVD/OVE before reading this to get the full experience, but if you haven’t or choose not to, it’s still a great read.
Rosalind is now a spy for the Nationalists with the code name “Fortune.” She is a very different character now having been biologically changed after receiving treatment for Scarlet Fever, which unbeknownst to her at the time altered her body so that she can now recover from wounds, slight and fatal in quick fast time and is practically unkillable!
What can I say about FLF that no one else will say, to be truthful, not a lot. Gong continues to display her love for 1930s Shanghai, with her exquisite attention to detail that delivers a 360 view of the city, the political tensions, the historical story and of course the characters themselves. Gong’s attention to detail does not falter from her characters, both protagonists and side and she continues to deliver living lessons in culture and environment without lecturing.
Please, don’t expect a sudden jump into the action, Gong delivers a nuanced and gradual build up from the start, that provides a foundation for the explosive action to come. And of course there are plot twists, it wouldn’t be a Gong book without them.
If you love OVD/OVE, then you will definitely love Foul Lady Fortune, and I totally recommend that you pick it up. If you haven’t read them, but love slow burn fantasy, historical fiction fantasy, then definitely pick them up and then read this when it comes out this month!

There are so many layers of intrigue within the pages of Foul Lady Fortune I cannot wait for the sequel and this one hasn't even had it's publication date yet! I was lucky enough to receive a digital reading copy from Hodder and Stoughton via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review and I am so glad I did. Primarily following a chemically enhanced Rosalind who can heal and regenerate at superhuman speeds, Foul Lady Fortune is a multi-genre page-turner set in Shanghai in 1931. Part YA Sci-Fi Fantasy, with a dash of forced proximity and a whole lot of historical spy action, Chloe Gong weaves Rosalind's story with the key players around her in a way that draws you in and tugs at your loyalties. I would highly recommend to anyone who loves to be kept guessing while also being entertained and perhaps even a little educated at the same time. Now I have to go read her entire back catalog!

Wow! Foul Lady Fortune was.... even better than These Violent Delights duo!! 😩😍 I love Rosalind, she's an actual ICON. Highly highly HIGHLY recommend

If you thought TVD was going to be some of Gongs best work then pick up this one..how she managed to build on perfection I don’t know but this was a beautiful insight to Rosalind and with it being packed full of mystery it will keep you glued to the pages until the end

Foul Lady Fortune follows Rosalind Lang 4 years after the events of These Violent Delights. This book is still set in Shanghai 1930s.
I really enjoy the writing style and the world building in this book. I enjoyed all the plot twists and they definitely caught me off guard at times.

Rosalind is such an interesting character to follow, who after a life saving procedure cannot die. Whilst working for the nationalist covert branch and working with Orion Hong on an undercover mission as a married couple. You can definitely see how at first it was forced and eventually it turned into romance. I do love an enemies to lovers troupe.

The side characters definitely add more to the story than I expected and at times I felt they outshone the main characters.

I really enjoyed the ending of this book and it’s definitely set it up for book two.
I can’t wait for the next book.


Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Hodder & Stoughton for the eARC which I received in exchange for an honest review.

Gong knows how to strike those heartstrings and leave you wanting more after the last line finishes cannot wait for the second book. Using the old duo logy as callbacks was immense to the story but could still be gratifying without and would recommend going back after reading this. The intrigue is enough to keep the mystery tense and slowly peeling back the layers whilst adding tropes such as fake marriage and a clear set of representation between the characters. This book is a must not be put down till finished!

I put so much expectation on this book and I'm so glad it didn't disappoint. I think I liked it even better than These Violent Delights. Spies and immortality is more my kind of thing than gangsters and monsters, so this was just right up my alley. The fake marriage trope was pulled off really well. I wasn't especially into the trope when I started the book, but with Orion's casual use of "beloved" I was quickly invested in their relationship.

I would honestly give my life for Alisa Montagova and Phoebe Hong. They are perfect I and adore them. I don't know what it is about little sisters, but Chloe Gong writes them perfectly. Honestly, all the characters in Foul Lady Fortune were wonderful. There wasn't a single of the main characters who didn't stick out for me in different ways. It was a very good cast.

I can't end this review without talking about the historical elements. I love a good historical as it gives me a glimpse into a historical setting and China has such an interesting history, especially during and after the second world war, so I was really interested to read more about it. Half of me wants to research and find out more about the time period and the other half wants to keep reading Chloe Gong's books and see it all unfold alongside the plot.

2.5/5 Stars

Let me preface this by saying that there's nothing exceptionally wrong with this novel, it just wasn't my kind of book really. I was looking forward to reading Rosalind's story, which by the way is set after the events that take place in the These Violent Delights series, which you don't necessarily have to read beforehand, but I strongly recommend you do. Unfortunately I found this book excessively long, not much happens in the storyline and it definitely did not need to be told in so many pages. I'm sorry to say that this did affect my reading experience and my overall enjoyment of the novel. What I did enjoy though were some of the plot twists and also the cast of the main characters.
I know this is the first book in a new series, but to be completely honest I am not really sure if I will ever read its sequel.

"We're excellent spies, after all."

As you know, I have been a Chloe Gong fan since day zero, and receiving this e-ARC was literally the best thing that happened to me this year! For this reason I have to thank Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Chloe Gong, that provide me with this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. all thoughts are personally mine. Thanks again!

I read These Violent Delights as soon as it came out, I had to wait a whole year for the sequel Our Violent Ends to come out and now I finally read Foul Lady Fortune, the TVD dilogy’s spin-off starring a secondary character of the series, Rosalind Lang, cousin of Julliette Cai of the Scarlet Gang.

Four years ago, Rosalind Lang was saved from death, but the strange experiment that saved her also stopped her from sleeping and aging and allows her to heal from any wounds. In short, Rosalind became immortal. Now, thanks to her immortality she uses her abilities as an assassin for the good of her country.

Her code name: Fortune.

When the Imperial Japanese Army begins its invasion march towards Shanghai, Rosalind is assigned another mission. A series of murders involving strange syringes containing a new drug are causing unrest in Shanghai and the Japanese are the main suspects. Rosalind's new orders are to infiltrate foreign society and identify the culprits behind the terror plot before more people are killed.

To reduce suspicion, however, she must pretend to be the wife of another nationalist spy, Orion Hong, and though Rosalind finds Orion's cavalier attitude and playboy demeanor irritating, she is willing to work with him for the sake of her country. But Orion has a plan of his own and Rosalind has secrets she wants to keep buried. As they both attempt to unravel the conspiracy, the two spies soon discover that there are deeper and more terrifying layers to this mystery than they ever imagined.

Now let's start with the actual review!

I was really scared before I started reading because I was terrified that nothing would be able to like me more than the dilogy of These Violent Delights, but after reading Foul Lady Fortune I can say with certainty that I was wrong! Sure, obviously there aren't our beloved Julliette and Roma, but when you read about Rosalind and Orion I'm sure you'll love them madly!

As I said I literally loved this book!
Gong's writing is something wonderful as are the stories she manages to create. The book is full of plot twists and the romance is something on another level: fake marriage, partner in crime, couple spying, slow burn!! I loved it!

The cast of characters is truly diverse and full of representation (bisexual, transgender).
What I also appreciated is the fact that the book was divided into three different storylines: one starring Rosalind and Orion, one starring Celia with Oliver (I can't wait for you all to meet Oliver!) and one last secret storyline… I can't tell you everything sorry!!
Another character that I loved so much is Lao Lao… I love that woman!

As in TVD, we see the immense work and all the commitment that Chloe Gong has put into this story and as in TVD also Foul Lady Fortune is a truly complete book, there is a mystery, there is romance, there is a very accurate historical part and there is also the fantasy/sci-fi touch that I really appreciated!

Last thing: check the TW! Especially for syringes and needles… I don't suffer from these things but in this novel the syringes and needles are really present and they trigger me a bit.

In a nutshell, a truly perfect book, Chloe Gong has managed to amaze me again and is re-confirmed as my favorite author and a brilliant writer to whom I wish a great career!
At this point I can't wait to read the 2 short stories coming out in February and obviously after the ending of Foul Lady Fortune I am waiting for the sequel more than Christmas day!

If you loved these violent delights you’ll love this one as well!
I had high expectations and I wasn’t left disappointed. Highly recommended!

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the arc in exchange of honest review.
I read These 'violent delights' early this year and absolutely loved it so I was very interested in upcoming Chloe Gong creation.
Foul Lady Fortune follows a story of a Assassin and a Spy set in 1920s. It's full action and mystery along with bit of romance.

Absolutely loved this book! An intriguing plot set during a particularly interesting time period, with fantastic characters throughout and a wonderful building romance.

Rarely does a piece of literature get me more fired up than the These Violent Delights duology by Chloe Gong. What I thought would’ve been a run-of-the-mill forbidden love plot with doe-eyed protagonists and romanticised gang violence ended up being a grim insight into 1920s Shanghai, delivered in a bittersweet and thrilling tale of what it means to love deeply and dearly.

Needless to say, I have an enthusiasm for the series that is quite infamous within LitSoc. I gave 'These Violents Delights' a glowing review despite its puzzling depictions of science and meandering plot. And I have fought, with great determination, any detractors who dare question the sanctity of Romajuliette – the duology’s main couple – and speak ill of either of their characters.

So when the opportunity came for me to review 'Foul Lady Fortune', the highly anticipated spin-off of 'These Violent Delights', you can only imagine how excited I was to read it before its release date.

Well, that’s not entirely true.

Earlier in the year, Chloe Gong had revealed that Rosalind Lang, a supporting character and cousin to main protagonist Juliette in 'These Violent Delights', would be the central character of 'Foul Lady Fortune'. Now, I adored the core cast of 'These Violent Delights'. But among them, Rosalind was the character I had the most conflicted feelings over. Over the course of the duology she had grown so bitter and spiteful that it angered me. Yet, with how much most of her family dismissed her, she had also earned my sympathy. But would Rosalind as a protagonist taint my enjoyment of 'Foul Lady Fortune'? Still, reflecting on the similar scepticism I had before I started 'These Violent Delights', I put my biases aside and took the plunge into 'Foul Lady Fortune'.

‍And I am pleased to say that Ms Gong has indeed delivered with her latest novel.

Tension and intrigue are staples of Chloe Gong’s writing, and 'Foul Lady Fortune' carries these elements forward with refined pacing. In this new murder mystery set in 1930s China, there is rarely a dull moment as we follow along with our new core cast of characters on their adventures. The Hong siblings – the serious Oliver, the vivacious Phoebe and our flamboyant new leading male, Orion – steal the stage alongside Rosalind and returning characters Celia, Rosalind’s kind-hearted twin sister, and Alisa, the precocious younger sister of Roma, the leading male from 'These Violent Delights', with their conflicting yet interconnected motivations. Between them, Gong does well to expand on the previous series’ themes of loyalty, love and betrayal – this time within the conflict between the Chinese Nationalists and Communists.

Oliver and Orion in particular are incredible foils to Celia and Rosalind’s relationship as siblings. Oliver and Celia identify strongly with the Communists, while Orion and Rosalind work for the Nationalists. Both pairs of siblings, likewise, come from broken families, having strained relationships with their fathers and missing mothers. Yet, while lack of communication and distance have marred Oliver and Orion’s relationship, Celia and Rosalind take great leaps to stay in contact and trust each other with their lives.

It’s endearing to see Rosalind and Celia’s relationship as sisters explored in greater detail like this in 'Foul Lady Fortune', especially considering how their closeness was what prevented my complete distaste for Rosalind in 'Our Violent Ends', the sequel to 'These Violent Delights'. It also further endears me to how Celia’s fierceness to protect her sister is reflected in Rosalind and has coloured her motivations throughout her life.

This further exploration into the facets of Rosalind’s character in 'Foul Lady Fortune' has significantly softened my view of her, as Gong allows us to better understand her inner turmoils, including the reasoning behind her actions in 'Our Violent Ends'.

Beneath her callousness then was a broken young woman who had been repeatedly cast aside by loved ones she’d given her whole heart and soul to. So while I remain frustrated with Rosalind and her tendency towards jealousy and anger, it does not bar me from wanting the best for her and her happiness. Especially when, in 'Foul Lady Fortune', her mistakes have fuelled her drive to make amends and protect those closest to her even more.

Speaking of Rosalind’s closest relationships, 'Foul Lady Fortune', quite literally, forces a new one into her life through her fake marriage to Orion, whose initial frivolousness and flirtations irked me as much as it does Rosalind. In fact, those who follow 'Miraculous Ladybug' will find that Rosalind and Orion hit similar notes to Ladynoir . . . if Ladybug was hardened by the sins of her treacherous past and Cat Noir was an actual playboy. Still, while it was certainly ill-matched at first, Rosalind and Orion as a pairing, much like Ladynoir, slowly warrant endearment when it’s made clear how sincerely and deeply their feelings for each other run.

I’m still partial to Juliette and Roma for their intimate past and passion-filled romance. But those who prefer a gentler, more tender flame will find Rosalind and Orion a fun and heartfelt love story to follow. And Ladynoir set in 1930s China is a relationship I look forward to seeing evolve in the next novel, which Chloe Gong so graciously teases towards the end of 'Foul Lady Fortune', much like she did for 'Our Violent Ends' in 'These Violent Delights'.

With all these elements to like about 'Foul Lady Fortune', my only gripe over the novel is similar to my grievances over its predecessor series: its questionable science. Admittedly, it has taken longer than I’d like for it to sink in that Chloe Gong’s novels are historical fantasy rather than just historical fiction, but reading how the virus in 'These Violent Delights' manifested and spread, at times, confused me more than it intrigued me. Certainly, a dangerous and unknown virus has the great potential to urge further conflict and make an insightful commentary on humanity (as history and current times have shown). But a virus that defies human biology to infect its victims and turns them into eldritch monsters was a little too much to add to a plot already set in a world filled with political unrest, rival gangs and forbidden love plots.

Fortunately, in 'Foul Lady Fortune', the fantastical elements are made more palatable in the novel’s otherwise realistic setting. Drugs that cause death by injection are much less far-fetched than a supernatural virus, and the mystery of the killer is an intriguing trail to follow that doesn’t overshadow the plot and the interpersonal relationships between the characters. While the narrative does introduce a drug that effectively makes people immortal of all things, it at least pairs well with Rosalind’s character, whose inability to age fuels her drive to improve as a person and not run from her past.

Overall, 'Foul Lady Fortune' takes the best elements of the These Violent Delights duology and elevates them to a higher degree. In this spin-off, Gong’s poetic writing shines through a more tightly-woven plot, dynamic cast and subtle twists that make you keep reading and wanting more. And I am exceedingly thrilled to wait for its sequel to come out. I give this novel 4.5 stars.

Rounded up to 5 for NetGalley.

Where do I even begin with this review?!

After reading the These Violent Delights Duology, I came into this book with A LOT of expectations (most of which I was positive wouldn't actually be met because they were just so high). I was half convinced that Chloe Gong had written a masterpiece once and there was no way she would be able to replicate the way her first series made me feel. But boy was I wrong!

Foul Lady Fortune is everything I could have asked for and more. A marriage of convenience between an Assassin and a Spy? Yes. An interesting mystery for them to unravel? Yes again. And a selection of interesting side characters that you can't help loving (With their POVs included)? 1000 times yes. It is the perfect combination of romance, mystery and action. Not to mention all of the representation, Chloe Gong is a goddess.

At no point in this book did I feel bored, or like I had to force myself through it. From the very beginning it was pure perfection and I cannot recommend it enough. Everyone deserves to read this book, deserves to know these characters and their world.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I will definitely be picking up a physical copy of this one and will be waiting impatiently for the next instalment in the series.

P.s. for those of you who kind of hated Rosalind at the end of These Violent Ends (like I did), worry not because you will end up rooting for her in this book.

I was not able to finish this book as my download unfortunately expired. I'll have to read it after its release

With every new book Chloe Gong proves herself to be one of the most exciting voices in YA literature today and it is an absolute treat to watch her grow as a writer. I never had any doubts that this wouldn't be another triumph under Gong's belt, but it feels so satifsying to watch her both prove you right and continue to develop and improve as a writer. I adored this.

Orion my dear, you are welcome to step on me any time.

Anyway.

I loved this book.
More than TVD.
More than OVE.
4.5 rounded up to 5 stars.

Rosalind was never a character I gave two fucks about in the original duology, but this time around, she is my favourite.
She is an immortal ex-gang elite turned spy, what is more to ask for?

GRUMPY X SUNSHINE BUT THE OTHER WAY Y’ALL.

Orion is so nice and flirty and charming, and left me giggling at the only source of light in my bedroom at 3 am.
He could say he murdered my entire race and I would still be his doormat. (Ehehe, you see what i did there?)

My favourite thing about the characters is their determinism and attachment to their country! I think a lot of YA authors forget about this attachment and make it all about the love interest. But here, you see the crisis between choosing your own happiness or your city’s tranquility.

The plot is the evidence of Chloe’s improvement from great to amazing. Twists, magic, science, history, retelling, thriller. You got them all.
Her writing is as solid as my love for Orion.

Cannot wait for the second book!!

Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book in return for an honest review!

Foul Lady Fortune follows Rosalind (a character we meet in TVD duology) and Orion- a pair of spies posing as a married couple to investigate a series of murders in 1930s Shanghai.

Firstly, I love Rosalind and I’m so glad we get to learn more about her character in this spin off duology. And of course I loved the Demisexual representation included in this book!

And ahh the romance in this book was so good. I’m not a big romance fan, but the way Chloe Gong writes enemies to lovers + the forced proximity trope makes me want to be a romance fan.

The overall plot was very exciting to read- I definitely need to read some more books with spies. Although FLF is a ✨thick✨ book, I managed to read it all in pretty much one sitting because I was so engaged in the plot.

Overall, I’d definitely recommend this and I’m so excited for the second book in this spin off duology. After that ending, I don’t think I can wait any longer!

If you haven’t read any of Chloe Gong’s other books yet, you’re missing out!

5/5 ⭐️s

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Finding herself brought back from the brink of death years ago, Rosalind Lang has had to reinvent herself, and carve her place in a society following the fall out of the Scarlet Gang and White Flowers feud. Her penance for her life was the fact that she could no longer sleep, or age, and any wound would heal, creating the perfect assassin for her people. When a Japanese invasion is imminent, she needs to join forces with another Nationalist spy, Orion Hong, and pose as a married couple to uncover the culprit behind a wave of deaths. As they grow close, it's harder for the two spy's to keep their secrets, and protect themselves from both danger, and heartbreak.

Well, this was fantastic! I was a little late to the party for These Violent Delights, but adored them when I read the series, so learning that their would be a sort of companion series, set 4-5 years later, with many of the remaining characters, I couldn't wait to read it. As soon as I picked up my review copy, I was hooked. Rosalind was a character who had always intrigued me when we met her previously, and I felt like she had a story to tell, to explain some of her actions, and why she was that way. I loved the dynamic between her as Lady Fortune, and with Orion as a 'couple' who didn't trust each other initially, until they relied on each other like nothing before. Their romance wasn't perfect, and there were so many twists and turns, until the final page, that I was on the edge of my seat. Seeing so many characters again, such as Celia and Alisa, and meeting the new cast, was great. This book was full of action, and intrigue, and hit all my expectations. I'm just in awe of Chloe's work, and can't wait for the sequel!

— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Foul Lady Fortune
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: Book 1 of 2 of the Foul Lady Fortune duology
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Chloe Gong
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Historical Thriller
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 27th September 2022
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4.5/5

Foul Lady Fortune is part of a separate duology to Our Violent Delights and These Violent Ends however does follow on from TVE and contains big ol’ spoilers for this duology.

What struck me most about this book was how intense and fast paced it was. There was always something urgent taking place and reading it felt similar to getting whiplash.

This is a complex and political historical noir, with a dash of Captain-America-Formula. Chloe Gong has stated it’s based on As You Like It by Shakespeare, just as These Violent Delights is based on Romeo and Juliet. Initially, I thought I’d have trouble following everything, the different political movements, the hidden agendas, the agendas that were out in the open… But, I was pleasantly surprised that with a little bit of focus, it was easy enough to follow.

To be honest, I feel like the romance wasn’t the best. Even though they were literally spies in a fake marriage and I should immediately love them. I felt chemistry from Orion’s side, but that was it. I felt like it was very much one sided, to be honest, because Rosalind was so busy being secretive and prickly, it meant that any feelings I felt coming from her end seemed like they stemmed from guilt more than a true emotional connection.

The side characters were the best part of the story, I was hugely invested in Alisa and Phoebe, particularly Phoebe. She was such a firecracker and yet the underdog at the same time, I always fall in love with that combination. It actually says a lot that I was more emotionally invested in Phoebe and Silas than I was in Rosalind and Orion.

Chloe Gong’s writing is supreme, there’s no denying that. Usually I would write a review straightaway, the book fresh in my mind, but the last 20% with all its twists and turns had me disassociating out of shock. I literally needed a nap and a strong hit of caffeine to organise my thoughts into something coherent. The last 20% really makes the book shine.