These Violent Delights

by: Chloe Gong

Recommended Age: YA (14+ years and above)

Lexile: 890L

Content Warning(s) (provided by author): "blood, violence, gore, character deaths, explicit description of gouging self (not of their own volition), murder, weapon use, insects, alcohol consumption, parental abuse"

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Book Summary

"A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal.

But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule."

My Thoughts

I stumbled upon "These Violent Delights" this year, and it happened to be another book I didn't expect to read this year or enjoy so much, as it's nowhere near what I generally read. However, the stunning cover drew me in, and despite my initial reservations and skepticism, I knew it would be a healthy pivot from my usual picks. The setting also played a massive part in attracting me to "These Violent Delights." I'd never read or known about the glittering yet treacherous 1920s in Shanghai, and certainly never about the blood feud between the two ruling gangs of the city (even the government didn't want to get caught in the crossfire). The blood feud between the Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers was interesting, to say the least, but to be honest, I was far more captivated by Roma and Juliette's fierce enmity. I found their bickering and banter pure entertainment and engaged me in their story. Fair warning: it took me quite a while to immerse myself in the world of gang-filled Shanghai, but once I was in there, there was no turning back. Several call this a "Romeo and Juliet"-inspired retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, and I couldn't agree more, and not just because one of the main characters is named Juliette! Overall, "These Violent Delights" turned out to be a captivating read that exceeded my expectations and is now one of my favourite reads of 2023!

Graphic Descriptions

As the content warnings at the top of this post suggest, there is a lot of graphic violence, detailed descriptions, and gore, so it may restrict you from reading this. Frankly, whenever I came across far too graphic descriptions of death or the monster, I just skimmed that chapter (something I'd recommend if you do not want a mental image of the events; you wouldn't miss much).

Secret Shanghai Series

I strongly despise standalone novels, especially when I get too attached to the characters, so I was extremely thrilled to find out that Gong had written a sequel titled "Our Violent Ends," which happens to be the end of the duology. Fortunately, there is a spinoff duet: "Foul Lady Fortune" and "Foul Heart Huntsman." and a two-novella collection titled "Last Violent Call" that features the same set of characters a few years after the completion of "Our Violent Ends."

Order

These Violent Delights (#1)

Our Violent Ends (#2)

Foul Lady Fortune (#3)

Last Violent Call (#3.5)

Foul Heart Huntsman (#4)

Read more about the order in which to read them on Chloe Gong's website!