This left off somewhere between Foul Lady Fortune and Last Violent Call. Within these 544 pages, Chloe manages to create twist after twist, build suspense and seep in romance. There were turns I wasn't expecting, which I love because I can often guess plots waaay in advance.

What an amazing conclusion to a series that started 4 years ago with These Violent Delights.

Chloe has a knack for making her cityscape a loud, visceral backdrop where her stories unfold and her characters have to navigate. I know very little of Chinese history, but this has spurred me on to look into it more.

The way she handles all the various love interests with delicacy and gentleness is really nice to see, nothing feels rushed.

While the main characters are Rosalind and Orion, the side characters do not feel like an afterthought, they each contribute to the events. It's interesting to see how they interact despite being on two politically opposite sides, and how family, and found family, prevails.

⚠️Slight spoiler warning ⚠️
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If you are not aware Celia is a transwoman, and the way she has been portrayed since page one has been so respectful, especially as we explore her two dead names - she was forced to take on her dead sister's identity so she could fit in, I cannot imagine the horror. And it's so nice to see how Oliver accepts her for exactly who she is without many words, explanations or questions. He just loves her.

This was the absolute perfect time being to the series!