I cannot stop thinking about this book. This was the first book I have read by Chloe Gong, but have now recently bought her others.

I had to pick my jaw off the floor after reading parts of this - I did see one twist coming but did not expect the other one!

I have to admit, that this hasn't been my favourite book by this author. I found it really hard to get into and took a while to finish.
The storyline is interesting but maybe it was that I wasn't in the mood for this genre.

with every new book chloe comes out with , she makes her place as one of my favorite authors even stronger , foul lady fortune is a spin off to her highly acclaimed debut duology.
foul lady fortune follows rosalind lang , juliette cai's cousin after the events of OVE but however she has some new powers and is a weapon herself, the story unfolds in such a beautiful pace and way that you'll never feel like you are reading , rather like you are in the book itself.
with stunning plot twits and an unbearable ending ( GIVE ME BOOK TWO ) this is definitely one of my favorites and the best chloe has come out with.

Chloe gong is an absolute gem of a writer. I adore her characters and genuinely cannot get enough of her world building. Although i rarely read YA books nowadays, I can never miss one of Miss Gong’s releases even though they leave me in tears. Absolutely can’t wait for the upcoming immortal longings. Thank you to netgalley and hodder and stoughton for an arc of this book !!

I was so happy when I saw we were revisiting a few characters from Chloe’s previous duology. I really am a fan of Chloe’s writing. It’s fast paced but not too fast that you don’t make any connections with the characters, and as with her previous work, it was overall beautifully written.
I’m so glad we have fantasy written in places other than the US/UK. 5/5 - anything Chloe writes is an instant pick up for me now.

Chloe Gong does it again. I don't know if she laces her books with crack but I cannot get enough. Her writing just feels like it's leagues above others in the genre and the way she develops her plot and world is so intricately done that I sit in awe every time I read one of her novels.

I must say, when it was announced that this book would be following Rosalind, I was hesitant. She is such an unlikable character in the original duology, that it takes a lot to redeem her but I think that is a feat that Gong accomplishes in this book. Seeing the story from her perspective and seeing her grow as a character is truly satisfying.

I also think I've found my new favourite chaotic bisexual - Orion Hong (which makes the ending of this book almost unbearable to read btw). He has a flashy exterior but such a soft and vulnerable heart. The way his relationship develops with Rosalind made me melt on the spot. I also think that the way she incorporates queer characters into her stories is so well done and I love seeing the representation.

Marriage of convenience / pretending to be marries is one of my all time favourite tropes, especially in an espionage setting. I know that Chloe and I share the same fanfiction background so she knows how to execute a trope like this where I'm kicking my feet in the air, giggling but also gasping at the tension between the two characters.

The historical setting has changed, time has moved on and the political climate in Shanghai is a whole new ball game. Tension is high as our characters have to maneuver through big powerhouses grappling for control of the city and the country as a whole. Gong manages to balance the historical setting with her supernatural plotline. The intrigue and espionage is so well crafted and that twist at the end stabbed me right in the heart.

I need 2 Foul 2 Fortune immediately thank you very much. 2023 is truly going to be Chloe Gong's year with 3 books releasing and I cannot wait for all of them. She has become one of my all time favourite authors and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.

Chloe Gong has done it again! A spy and an assassin in a fake marriage is everything I didn’t know I needed. With a tightly woven plot that kept me reading into late hours, Foul Lady Fortune delivered every promise.

FOUL LADY FORTUNE is a fun historical sci-fi spy caper.

There are spies and double crosses and people with aliases the reader may or may not know galore in this book. Everyone is scrambling for power in a city being ripped apart in the shadows by the communists and nationalists fighting for control. The Japanese are a threat simmering on a very low heat in the background, and I'm going to assume we see more of them in the next book.

All these spies and aliases are a great set up for various betrayals and having to suspect everuone, not to mention try to untangle the plots Rosalind and Orion find themselves caught in. it's so hard to know who the "primary enemy" is, the one they need to focus on and defeat right now (everyone else is pretty much still an enemy as virtually no one can be trusted not to be out for themselves.) It makes for simmering tension and a compelling hook to pull you through.

Rosalind and Orion are the main characters and narrate most of the book but Celia, Alisa, and Phoebe (Orion's sister) have scenes too. The number of narrators not only gives the book a feeling of scope but also lots of different sides into the spying, while masterfully hiding certain facts. It gives you a sense of just how much is at play, and how many parties are involved with uncertain loyalties.

I've been thinking a lot about the fantasy/sci-fi boundaries, and it means I've revised my opinions of where all of Chloe Gong's books (so far sit.) The impossible in these books are all explained by magic, serums and bugs, which (to me) makes them sci-fi. They just happen to be set in the past, rather than space - and the technology isn't are "advanced" as usually found in sci-fi, but there's nothing magical in the impossible. So these are now sci-fi in my books, and I hope we get more "unusual" sci-fi like this.

The book is apparently a very loose As You Like It reimagining, but I have to say, even knowing that and the play, I couldn't really see the play in the book at all. Which is absolutely fine (if not brilliant) by me - As You Like It is one of my least favourite Shakespeare plays. The Shakespeare in this book comes from the occasional quote, including the very famous "all the world's a stage" soliloquy.

I will be grabbing the next instalment in this series when it's out, reading LAST VIOLENT CALL in the mean time.

I love Chloe Gong's book so I didn't even hesitate to pick this book up to read as soon as it was released. I'm also very excited for the next book as well in this series, as well as anything else Chloe Gong is going to release. I love the fake marriage between two different characters but also how they complimented each other as well.

I absolutely love how Chloe Gong weaves political history into her novels along with the inspiration of a Shakespeare play - As you like it, in this case. Gong has created an intricate world where you are glad to he reunited with characters from Violent Delights. The mystery, fake marriage & plot what’s not to love!?

Leaps and bounds better than the original duology, but could've done with 200 fewer pages and still been as effective. I enjoyed the characterisation and Rosalind's cool spy thing, but overall a meh book

I read this one without the context of the other series and suffered for it, would definitely recommend reading the others first which is what I'm going to do right now! Overall enjoyed the story.

Returning back to the world of These Violent Delights with the newest addition of Foul Lady Fortune broke me and brought me back to life at the same time. I loved every part of it, from start to finish, I loved reading about Rosalind and Orion, about Celia and Oliver, Alissa, Phoebe and Silas. Miss Chloe Gong just knows how to make me love every character. The twists were immaculate and that ending made me wish for MORE. I did not want this book to end at all! If I could give it infinite stars out of 5 — you bet I will!!!

★★★★☆  4.5/5 



Shanghai 1931, and China is under threat from forces inside and outside of the country. Trust is hard to come by, and with sides drawn, it's impossible to truly know the person you're working for, or against. 

For Rosalind Lang, who is far from the person she once was just a few years ago, she's intent on making up for past events. After joining the Nationalists, Rosalind is putting her abilities to use. Now a spy and assassin, she's teamed up with Orion Hong, given the task of infiltrating a Japanese press office under the guise of a married couple. 

For Orion Hong, his family's reputation is in tatters. His father has previously been investigated for being a traitor to the country, and Orion's brother, Oliver, is on the opposing side, that of the Communists. 

As completely opposite people, Rosalind and Orion are forced to work together, uncovering a conspiracy and a greater threat to their country. Together with characters from the previous duology, they must secretly join forces to stop the killings and discover who the killer is, all whilst keeping their own identities a secret. 

With multiple points of view, we see how Rosalind is still dealing with what she previously went through and how it effects her. We get a more in-depth look at her character, offering a better insight for those who, like me, disliked her in previous books. Gone is the girl who betrayed her friends and family, and in her place is a woman desperately trying to make amends with herself whilst trying to help her country. With the introduction of new characters, there's a lot to learn about them and their roles within the plot, but at times it did feel a little like there was too much going on by giving them their own POV. The plot also takes a little while to really take hold, with character development more of a focus at first, but this isn't a negative as there is a lot going on, and a lot to take in and understand. 

When Chloe announced there was going to be another duology set in the These Violent Delights world which would focus on Rosalind, I have to admit I wasn't all that excited. Rosalind hadn't been my favourite character, but after reading the synopsis for Foul Lady Fortune and then getting to read it, I can say I should definitely have been so much more excited. This book has completely changed my view on Rosalind, and Chloe made the right choice in choosing to focus the duology on her. 



Did I like the book? Yes.

Did I love it? Yes. There's lots to love, from the fake marriage trope, to the new and returning characters.  

Would I recommend it? I would! Even if you haven't read the first two, you can still jump right on into the world and not feel like you're missing anything. And, if you love spy/thriller novels with a hint of science fiction and fantasy, this is definitely for you.

This little thought came to me one day after reading Foul Lady Fortune, and I haven’t been able to get it out of my head since: Foul Lady Fortune is the Secret Shanghai world equivalent of Avatar the Last Airbender if ATLA actually had a spinoff where Azula got her redemption arc. While Rosalind partly assumes the role of villain in TVD, in FLF we explore her in the aftermath of those events, and all she has done to move forward. My heart really goes out to her, she’s a character that you start to really care for though she may be initially unlikeable. Also, the demisexual rep in FLF is truly excellent; it’s a crucial part of Rosalind’s character and really made me feel things.

There’s a large main cast, and I love them so much. I have to give a little shoutout to Phoebe, who is just so, so fun; I adore the breezy, mischievous younger sibling act she brings. As a side note, after reading the B&N exclusive short story, I love her all the more. These characters are all brilliant individually, but there’s something extra special about the way they fit as an ensemble cast. I especially loved all the family drama, angst, and dynamics, whether it was Orion threatening to kill Oliver or him insisting on shielding Phoebe from his work.

As always, Chloe has also managed to weave historical, social, and political into this fantasy world, and the additional layers complement the drama of the story so well. In the end, all I can say is, go read Foul Lady Fortune. It may break your heart, but in the best way possible.

Amazing, fantastic, best book of 2022 in my opinion! If you love the fake marriage trope and ANGST, this one's for you!

Another enjoyable historical fantasy from Chloe Gong, but for me, this one didn't work quite as well as her first duology. There are an awful lot of moving parts in this narrative and I found that there were times when I was confused both with what was happening and also who was who. I liked the character progression for Rosalind and Orion and their relationship was interesting. I also enjoyed Alisa very much and would like to see more of her in the follow up. The latter portion of this book was really fast paced and engaging and did a really good job of setting up for the concluding book, which I will definitely be picking up. I just hope that it is a bit easier to follow!
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Look, nothing by Chloe Gong is ever going to be bad. That being said, I went into this book with incredibly high expectations after reading These Violent Delight and Our Violent Ends, which are some of my favourite books I’ve read in the past few years, and has simply set the bar a bit too high. I would absolutely recommend this, but mostly for people who already love the world and Gong’s writing.

I found this book really hard to get into - so much so that it took me several months to finish it. That was, maybe, in part because my NetGalley shelf app locked access to it after the pub date, so I guess that's on me for not being speedy enough, but it was also because I just found it really hard to start off on.
To its credit, once you actually get into this and get going, it's quite enjoyable and an easy read. It's just the starting point is quite a steep learning curve. I had already read These Violent Delights, so I thought I'd be pretty much okay with the plot of Foul Lady Fortune, which is related, but not a direct sequel after Our Violent Ends. But I was wrong about that - you really do need to have read Our Violent Ends to get what's going on in FLF, and not having done that put me in a pretty tough position to catch up from. That's probably what contributed so much to my not being willing to pick up the book immediately.
Once I got past that point, though, the story itself was pretty enjoyable, lots of twists and turns, double and triple agents, a cast of characters who are all much too intertwined in each others' lives, and some fun moments. I'll read the sequel when it's released. And I'm definitely going to have to go back and finish These Violent Delights as a series, because seriously, what on earth happened in that second book?

"Lady Fortune, you play foul."

THIS BOOK OMGGG THIS BOOK CHLOE GONG WROTE ANOTHER MASTERPIECE

"Nation over everything. But not you, sweetheart. Never your life in exchange"

I loved it even more than These Violent Delights. Love love love everything about this book. IT HAS MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE TROPE.

"You can't ask me not to love you by keeping me at arm's length. I'll love you anyway."

Rosalind and Orion - two spies who have to marry and work together to infiltrate evil organization.

"I’ve seen what love does. It’s powerful. It’s selfish. It will draw us away from the battlefield, and we can’t allow that."

But we also follow Rosalind's sister who's on the other side.

"She only wanted to be a girl who was deserving of the world."

IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THIS BOOK YET WHAT ARE YOU DOING??? SCREAMING CRYING IT WAS PERFECT 5/5⭐

"Don’t”—he swung again—“touch”—another hard thwack—“my”—the crate broke into two pieces—“wife."

Thank you NetGalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.