Sadly this book wasn’t the one for me, despite enjoying These Violent Delights. I struggled to relate to the characters and to get into the story itself.

A shame, but will still try their next book.

A very entertaining, and brilliantly written read. Rosalind as a character is one of the most intriguing that I've read in a long while. I think I liked her more than Roma and Juliette which I didn't think was possible. I loved the story line of this book and the setting is amazing, it felt different to the first duology in this setting but in a good way, as though it was more developed. The twists and turns were endless and I felt so baffled by the end of this book with everything that could have possibly happened, happening. My only critique is that Orion didn't feel very developed and I wasn't invested in him as a love interest or as an accomplice. I'm hoping that will change with the next book

This was unfortunately a DNF for me: I was not in the place to read it at the time, I will try to give it another chance in the future.
I did not enjoy These Violent Delights either I am afraid.

Of course, is this only my personal opinion on the book and just because I give this rating to the book doesn’t mean, that everyone will have that opinion.

First of all, I would like to say thank you for the review copy, which was provided to me by the publisher This fact does not in any way affect my personal opinion of this book. This post contains advertising and the rights for the book belong to the publisher.

I’ve already read „The Violent Delights“ and „Our Violent Ends“ and enjoyed this duology. I was curious to see how the story would continue after that grand finale.

Well, I should have read a recap for the other duology online because I had a hard time getting into „Foul Lady Fortune“. I’m not good with heavy politics in fantasy books, so maybe, that was also a problem for me.

The main story reminded me loosely of SpyxFamily, and overall I enjoyed it. The characters and the mission were interesting, and after overcoming my problems at the start, I read it very fast. I’m excited to continue the story and I’m delighted, that I don’t have to wait so long for the next volume.

Conclusion
Definitely don’t miss this book if you liked the other books by this author.

This was my first book from Chloe Gong and I enjoyed it! Not my usual genre but I couldn’t put it down!

Foul Lady Fortune has taken over as my favourite Chloe Gong book.

Revisiting Shanghai with some familiar characters, and some new, has been an absolute joy.

I had so much fun getting to know Rosalind on a deeper level and the dynamic between her and Orion was SO good! The spy vibes were impeccable and that ENDING? Dying. Will not recover until I have book two.

I loved all the different sides to this book, always keeping things interesting. An exciting noir-esque read, incredible just like these violent delights.

As a fan of These Violent Delights, I knew I'd be reading Foul Lady Fortune as soon as I could. Not only do I love Chloe Gong's writing, but I also adored the world of the original duology, and couldn't wait to read more about it.

Foul Lady Fortune follows Rosalind, who's become an accomplished spy and assassin after the events of the first two books. I wasn't particularly interested in Rosalind, but I did think she was an interesting character, and I'm happy to say that I ended up loving her in this new series.

She's still bold and strong-headed, but we got a more human side to her, as she allowed herself to open up and trust people. She's fierce and brilliant and I was rooting for her throughout the book.

We also follow Orion, who's everything I want and love in a character. Reckless, a bit foolish, but with such a big heart you just need everything to work out for him. Their dynamic was amazing, they bounced off of each other and had such great banter that I would've gladly read a contemporary book about the two of them.

Chloe's writing continues to evolve with each book, and, although this is set in the same world as her debut series, she managed to raise the stakes and make it even more exciting. There were so many twists I didn't see coming, and I have no idea what to expect from the sequel. But if this is any indication, I trust it's gonna be great.

Gong is on her way to becoming one of my favourite authors, and I'm eagerly awaiting to be back in 1930's Shanghai as soon as I can. 4.5/5 stars

This was such an interesting and incredible read, there was such depth and intrigue. I found myself completely entranced by the story.

Chloe Gong has quickly become one of my absolute favorite authors. Having delved into her published works, which currently total three (all of which I've devoured), I can confidently say that every single one has been an absolute triumph. There's no room for disappointment here; it's simply an unending streak of incredible storytelling.

It's truly remarkable how Gong manages to blend Shakespearean retellings with a backdrop of historical fantasy. This unique combination deserves more recognition. She effortlessly weaves together historical facts, fantastical elements, and nods to Shakespeare, creating a captivating and awe-inspiring reading experience.

From the compelling characters to the captivating romance and intricately crafted plot, this book deserves a perfect score in every aspect. It's a flawless masterpiece that leaves no room for improvement—a resounding 5 stars

This leaves you shook.
Chloe Gong introduces us to spy and assassin business in China and the tension is incredible. I love the fact we've got a supernatural element too which just makes it even more captivating to read.

This book was a fun romp through a reimagined Shanghai. While I have not read Gong's previous series, this book gave enough information that it wasn't completely vital to have read her other books (although I would highly recommend doing so as there were points that I did get a bit confused).

I really enjoyed the fake relationship aspect of the story, and found both main characters to be interesting to read about - I would say they were both strong characters with in their own rights, and I really did like their romance.

I also really enjoyed the mystery element of this story, and the cliffhanger it ended on left me really excited for the next book in the series.

6.5/10

This is a good 3-star read for me as a fantasy tale because I can assure you I don't know much about the historical events surrounding China and Japan's war in the 1930s.

Do you want to know Rosalind Lang? She was raised in Paris before becoming one of the most infamous cabaret dancers in the city. Her current whereabouts are unknown and she is presumed dead, but you must know she is an immortal assassin known only by her code name, Fortune. This mysterious figure has survived multiple attempts on her life and does not age or sleep. It all sounds like an exciting story, right?
However, I must confess with a broken heart as the excitement seems to end after only the first 5% of the book and doesn't pick up again until the last 5%.

She is skilled in assassination, not a spy, and definitely doesn't want to be a married couple for cover, hell no!

Compare that thrilling with a routine spy operation, with Rosalind and her partner Orion at the helm. Orion's younger sister, Phoebe, is a sneaky young girl, while their other brother Oliver works for the opposing side. Oh, I forget to mention that Rosalind's own sister, Celia, also works for the opposing side. And let's not forget about the Communist spy, Alisa Montagova, and the numerous other players involved in this espionage.
Why I'm telling you the names? because the story, often each chapter is narrated by these, too many individuals.

I didn't intend to be too critical of this book. It wasn't bad neither perfect, only fell a bit flat. Perhaps my expectations for Chloe Gong were too high. I'm unsure if I'll continue with this series, but I'll definitely give one of her other books a chance.

Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley for giving me a chance to read the first book of Foul Lady Fortune (Secret Shanghai #3) by Chloe Gong. I have given my review solely based on my personal viewpoint and completely honest.

Gripping, awesome, the best atmosphere I could think off.
I came into this book completely blank. I know technically you are meant to read the other duology first but the premise of this just sounded too good to wait to read.
The story itself is awesome but what really spoke to me was the vibes. Vivid to the point you can smell the smoke and the lavish perfume.

Chloe Gong can do no wrong, I loved the These Violent Delights duology and couldnt wait to start Rosalinds story. Its just as well paced and of course the characters were as lovable as usual! I would recommend this to any fantasy lover irrespective of whether they have read the first novels. It is magical, mystical and full of intrigue; inspired by Shakespeare's As You Like It, this first instalment is momentous. Brilliant!

I love Chloe Gong's writing so when I knew she had a new duology I wanted to read and the preface of the novel, murders in 1930's shanghai was all I needed to pick this up. A gripping and enjoyable read; 4 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.=-

Spies, fake dating and 1930s Shanghai! This book sounded absolutely amazing and the cover is just stunning. But...

I made the huge mistake of requesting this one without reading the previous duology, thinking it would be okay because this is classed as a side story with only a few recurring characters.

It really isn't.

I felt like I was missing a huge chunk of Rosalind's backstory, which is entirely my own fault. This is definitely a book you need to read after the other two to get the whole picture. I did manage to complete the book, the writing is gorgeous and very addictive and I enjoyed getting to know the characters. There is a bit of a cliff-hanger ending which I feel would have hit harder if I'd read the other books.

This is definitely one I'm going to reread in the future after first devouring the others. That being said I would highly recommend this to fans of Chloe Gong and I can't wait to read her future books (including the sequel to this one!).

Somehow, I loved this book more than These Violent Delights! Pacey, gripping and with some very welcome Captain America and Winter Soldier vibes, I can't wait to read the next in the series!

Rating: 4.3 stars
★★★★★

If you aren't already convinced to read the book after that quote, I don't know what to make of you. Now look, I'm extremely guilty of abandoning this book—I was so excited for it; from unintelligibly scouring all of internet for a proof of this to actually being able to secure an advanced copy. So yeah, I'm pretty miffed at myself for not picking this up sooner cuz who waits that long, right?

Anyway, apart from that very horrible end (I swear I'll be doing the same as above for the sequel and actually following up through it), the book admittedly had it's misgivings. The first half was honestly not that great, it felt like Chloe was piecing together torn pieces of a paper to create the semblance of what would be Foul Lady Fortune. Some flashbacks were abrupt; you can tell that they're there for the sake of telling the reader and sometimes the writing felt off. And the plot was messy, with too many people and too many conspiracies to fit into it. But I'm glad I waited because Chloe delivered—by that, I mean outstandingly, and we couldn't have seen that coming.

It was of course, lengthy. The plot started picking up only after the 50% mark, which honestly, is a lot. Even for most fantasies it's usually 40% before I'm hooked. This book definitely took it's time. Rosalind, much to my dislike, reminded me a little too much of Juliette Cai from the earlier duology. And by dislike, I don't mean I didn't like Juliette, I just meant that they were too similar to be wholly different characters. As for Orion, I loved him. I don't think I'd be able to find an excuse not to like him. But if course, like all books, I was more invested in someone else other than the main characters and that was Alisa.

I don't know how to quite describe this feeling but other than the fact that we're all rooting for our couple in the spotlight (duh), I was also highly immersed in what was going with her. She was an interesting character to read. It could be only me, of course, but yeah. Celia and Oliver's storyline were not as intriguing as the others. They had their moments, sure, but I was more interested in what was happening in the other stories. And on an ending note, Chloe really saved the best parts for the end. With all the twists coming right at you like bullets, I don't think the reader has a chance to even breathe as they are frantically flipping pages, desperate to get to the end.

A fantastical addition to the universe of These Violent Delights, Foul Lady Fortune is an exhilarating new adventure following a familiar character - Rosalind Lang - in the aftermath of the events of Our Violent Ends. Acting as a separate duology within the same world as Chloe Gong's previous series, I would recommend this to any fantasy lover irrespective of whether they have read the first novels. It is magical, mystical and full of intrigue; inspired by Shakespeare's As You Like It, this first instalment is momentous. I loved every page!