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caidyn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A great conclusion to this series/duology. I loved the additional short story to close it out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Medical content, and Medical trauma
scrubsandbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved this entire world, and even if I didn't love this series as much as the original duology, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing both old names and getting to know newer faces. The writing was superb per usual with memorable quotes, and the pacing felt consistent. I'll miss the characters and the setting though I can hope for another novella at some point in the future!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Car accident
emilywemily6's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
This book was such a good conclusion to the series and these characters. I didn’t know how it would all work out for them, but it did and it makes sense without being too out there. I feel like you need to read the novellas to know how certain characters play a role in this book that don’t appear in the Foul Lady Fortune. I also feel like some really important plot points get resolved a little too quickly/without conflict considering how long this book is. This was a compelling read that I couldn’t put down and I am sad to leave this world!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Self harm, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Torture, Medical content, and Kidnapping
Minor: Car accident, Abandonment, and Classism
sophiareads_'s review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
Content Warnings: violence (including gun violence), death, murder, war, mind control, medical experimentation, transphobia, child abuse (mentioned)
With her identity as Fortune, a nationalist assassin, exposed to the public, Rosalind Lang struggles to free her former mission partner, Orion Hong, from his mother's control and find a cure for the dangerous inventions Lady Hong has created.
Unfortunately, I never really got as swept away by the story here as I did reading the previous Secret Shanghai novels. This could definitely br my own fault - I do regret not rereading Foul Lady Fortune before I started this. Still, Chloe Gong's writing remains very engaging and enjoyable, I really do love the cast of characters she has created, and the ratio of plot to romance is spot on. (Was bringing Roma and Juliette back total fan service? Yes, but I do have to admit to getting hyped when they turned up).
Huge thank you to Hodder Books for sending me an ARC :)
With her identity as Fortune, a nationalist assassin, exposed to the public, Rosalind Lang struggles to free her former mission partner, Orion Hong, from his mother's control and find a cure for the dangerous inventions Lady Hong has created.
Unfortunately, I never really got as swept away by the story here as I did reading the previous Secret Shanghai novels. This could definitely br my own fault - I do regret not rereading Foul Lady Fortune before I started this. Still, Chloe Gong's writing remains very engaging and enjoyable, I really do love the cast of characters she has created, and the ratio of plot to romance is spot on. (Was bringing Roma and Juliette back total fan service? Yes, but I do have to admit to getting hyped when they turned up).
Huge thank you to Hodder Books for sending me an ARC :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Medical content and War
Minor: Child abuse and Transphobia
wet_towlette's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
CHLOE GONG THE WOMAN THAT YOU ARE. bro I can’t believe the Shanghai series is over this is absurd. There is always something about Chloe’s second books that get me to my core. It was so fun and exciting and like an action movie but made for the squealing teenage girls like me. The ending was perfect. I loved her notes and the end I thought it was really well done. Even though there is a lot of perspectives in this book and for a bit I thought that would be a complaint, they actually turned out to be really engaging and interesting in their own right. Like for a while I really cared to read about Rosalind and Orion but then it all started to work together and the pieces were falling into place and ITS JUST ALL SO GOOD I SWEAR BRO THE CHLOE GONG SECOND BOOKS JUST HIT DIFFERENT
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
Minor: Transphobia
jenny_librarian's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
As good as the others! This last Secret Shanghai novel brings a beautiful end to the saga, with as many twists and turns as one can expect from Chloe Gong.
A lot happened in there, and I don’t mean only with the characters. Once again, the tense historical Chinese background blooms through and gives this story life. The setting is its own character and really elevates the whole thing from good to great.
I don’t usually love stories where everyone gets matched, but these couples have been in the work for two books, and some of the side characters have been together longer. So I can forgive it. And the demiromantic and trans rep included so smoothly makes it even better.
The last act might have required some suspension of disbelief (despite everything, I draw the line at that blood transfusion 🙈), but it doesn’t diminish my love for this series.
Thank you, Chloe Gong, for introducing me to early 20th century Shanghai and its many layers through a story that started as a Romeo & Juliet retelling.
A lot happened in there, and I don’t mean only with the characters. Once again, the tense historical Chinese background blooms through and gives this story life. The setting is its own character and really elevates the whole thing from good to great.
I don’t usually love stories where everyone gets matched, but these couples have been in the work for two books, and some of the side characters have been together longer. So I can forgive it. And the demiromantic and trans rep included so smoothly makes it even better.
The last act might have required some suspension of disbelief (despite everything, I draw the line at that blood transfusion 🙈), but it doesn’t diminish my love for this series.
Thank you, Chloe Gong, for introducing me to early 20th century Shanghai and its many layers through a story that started as a Romeo & Juliet retelling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Child death, Sexism, Torture, Transphobia, and Police brutality
kassidyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Torture and Medical content
palmkd's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I definitely recommend reading Last Violent Call prior to Foul Heart Huntsman for some extra adventures (and background detail) between the two books. It's not a must for the plot, but adds some extra depth and gives you more insight into some of our past main characters.
Whether you read Last Violent Call first or not, Foul Heart Huntsman is a great end to this series focused on a complicated group of individuals that find themselves with some abilities that aren't quite so normal. Shanghai in the 1930s was tumultuous and our main characters find themselves caught between family and politics. They used to protect their city as part of the gangs but now they are trying their hand from the shadows as spies for the different political factions. Add family and love into the mix, and it's anyone's guess what will happen next.
Chloe Gong writes really compelling characters and I was quite happy with how things wrapped up with this series, and appreciate the extra novellas to fill in some of the gaps between book 1 and 2.
Whether you read Last Violent Call first or not, Foul Heart Huntsman is a great end to this series focused on a complicated group of individuals that find themselves with some abilities that aren't quite so normal. Shanghai in the 1930s was tumultuous and our main characters find themselves caught between family and politics. They used to protect their city as part of the gangs but now they are trying their hand from the shadows as spies for the different political factions. Add family and love into the mix, and it's anyone's guess what will happen next.
Chloe Gong writes really compelling characters and I was quite happy with how things wrapped up with this series, and appreciate the extra novellas to fill in some of the gaps between book 1 and 2.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Blood, Medical content, and Murder
sarah_loves_books's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Torture, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent
luchikreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail