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ameydireads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
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
5.0
“Don't tie yourself in knots trying to discover what you ought to do in this world. At the end of the day, every job is the same, but you only have one family.”
I enjoyed this book so much. A great series finale.
I loved all the characters. Allegiances prove to be fluid when they all come together to fight a common enemy. In the midst of all the chaos, there are also some pleasant experiences when love blooms. Celia and Oliver grow closer together and Phoebe and Silas have some more difficulties to overcome, owing to their secrets. Meanwhile, Rosalind is determined to save Orion and because he lost his memories, we see him fall in love again with Rosalind. And how cute that they actually met each other as children as well!
The historical setting of this book was also very interesting. That's something Chloe Gong has done wonderfully in the previous books as well. This story is set in a time when there was a lot of political turmoil after Japan invaded Manchuria. The International Settlement, falling under western jurisdiction, was excluded from the struggle. They were able to mentally and physically detach themselves from the ongoing struggle. And for many people seeking refuge, the International Settlement was a safe haven. I found this clear contrast between the International Settlement and the rest of China very sad. The sorrow of the Chinese people must have been unimaginable. I wish we all had more compassion and kindness for each other.
“The foreigners on the other side of the creek were said to have watched the battle from the International Settlement as though it was a sporting event.”
I enjoyed this book so much. A great series finale.
I loved all the characters. Allegiances prove to be fluid when they all come together to fight a common enemy. In the midst of all the chaos, there are also some pleasant experiences when love blooms. Celia and Oliver grow closer together and Phoebe and Silas have some more difficulties to overcome, owing to their secrets. Meanwhile, Rosalind is determined to save Orion and because he lost his memories, we see him fall in love again with Rosalind. And how cute that they actually met each other as children as well!
The historical setting of this book was also very interesting. That's something Chloe Gong has done wonderfully in the previous books as well. This story is set in a time when there was a lot of political turmoil after Japan invaded Manchuria. The International Settlement, falling under western jurisdiction, was excluded from the struggle. They were able to mentally and physically detach themselves from the ongoing struggle. And for many people seeking refuge, the International Settlement was a safe haven. I found this clear contrast between the International Settlement and the rest of China very sad. The sorrow of the Chinese people must have been unimaginable. I wish we all had more compassion and kindness for each other.
“The foreigners on the other side of the creek were said to have watched the battle from the International Settlement as though it was a sporting event.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Car accident, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Transphobia
melissaslibraryy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
5.0
“She wasn’t built to be the savior—she was only a girl afraid of the world, and then Orion had come along to pull her out of the pit she had dug herself.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
aklovekorn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Mental illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
savreads28's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, and War
maple_dove's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
4.0
Loved the double lives, assassins, and the unique humor of Chloe Gong's books. I just--unforgettable.
My only qualm was that near the end, it felt like things were quickly made up in a way that didn't line up with the story set in place. Not a huge deal though.
Favorite Quotes:
My only qualm was that near the end, it felt like things were quickly made up in a way that didn't line up with the story set in place. Not a huge deal though.
Favorite Quotes:
Regret is an emotion reserved for the powerless. There is no need for it here.
Phoebe felt like she was using him.
Well, she was. That part was unquestionable. Friendship consisted of reciprocally using each other with love, after all.
If I am to do some good, then I must make peace with my own limits. I would lose perspective otherwise."
We leave our characters during a period of peace, to continue onward with their lives even if they are soon to be surrounded by tragedy: as we all must do to some degree during our time in this world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, and War
Moderate: Transphobia and Kidnapping
Minor: Gore, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, and Car accident
Imperialism (graphic), Anti-transness (graphic)teddy_books's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Violence, Medical trauma, Murder, and War
Moderate: Confinement, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Blood, and Gaslighting
Minor: Terminal illness, Car accident, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
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