Series Spotlight: These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong // a retelling with a spark!

Hello friends! I hope you’re all happy and healthy; today I have a spotlight post for a favorite series of mine: The These Violent Delights duology by Chloe Gong. This duology is a young adult retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet set in a 1920’s Shanghai, and it is brilliant!

As with every spotlight post, this will be entirely spoiler free!

For those of you who’ve been following me since last year, you will have seen my obsession that was Chloe Gong’s These Violent Delights.

When I read it last November I absolutely fell in love with the story, the writing, the characters, and recommended it to everybody I knew. ❤️

Well, if you got annoyed with me constantly recommending that book back then, then buckle up! Because the sequel Our Violent Ends comes out in just a few months, and I was lucky enough to have received the arc and I am now reading it, and I can already confirm that this is a book that is going to captivate.

“The stars incline us, they do not bind us.”

Since the sequel (and conclusion!) is going to be releasing soon, today I just wanted to do a little spotlight post about the series for people who haven’t read it yet, and also to have a discussion about the books for those who have actually have read the first one and are waiting for the second one, because I know it was on a lot of people’s most anticipated reads of the remainder of the year — especially during the midyear wrap up posts.

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

Published: November 17th 2020 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

Genre(s): historical, young adult, fantasy, romance

Content Warnings: blood, violence, gore, character deaths, explicit description of gouging self (not of their own volition), murder, weapon use, insects, alcohol consumption, parental abuse.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery.

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.

Book Links

Amazon | Goodreads | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indigo

Why I Love It

I’m going to keep these thoughts brief, since I already have a full review of this novel (These Violent Delights).

The following thoughts are for the first book:

If I had to describe this novel in just a few words, I would call it vibrant, with vivid descriptions and dynamic characters that come alive as you read.

The atmosphere was phenomenal!! I thought Gong perfectly captured the atmosphere of a glittering city, full of beauty but also crime, with a shiny and alluring exterior, yet also with darkness lurking below the surface. 

“And he mourned for her. He didn’t wish to, but he did—he ached with the knowledge that the softness of their youth was gone forever, that the Juliette he remembered was long dead. He ached even more to think that though he was the one who had dealt the killing blow,”

I also thought the character work was very strong. Juliette was a compelling protagonist. It was refreshing and enjoyable to have a fierce, whip-smart, and nuanced female protagonist who takes life by the reins and makes things happen for herself, yet it still empathetic and relatable in many ways.

Even the side characters are amazing, and there is a specific side romance that I guarantee all readers will be rooting for!

And then, of course, the romance!

Roma and Juliette by bx_romance

Roma and Juliette. Juliette and Roma. These two!! They serve pretty much everything that you could want in a fictional ship. Forbidden love, enemies/rivals, pining, angst, and the way that they just make you root for them so much it hurts.

“I was raised in hatred, Roma. I could never be your lover, only your killer.”

Chloe Gong, These Violent Delights

AH the slow burn!! I love slow-burn in books, I live for the angst, and Roma and Juliette delivered! I don’t want to spoil so I won’t mention much else here, but I wanted them to be together so badly I may have shed a tear or two over their predicament.

I’ve created a Pinterest board for this series as well:

As for the second book, Our Violent Ends…

Okay, I mean obviously I won’t say anything, but it is amazing!! Like truly, absolutely, entirely amazing (and I haven’t even finished yet lol).

The way that the first book ends, and this sequel picks right up, fans of the first book will not be disappointed.

If you’re still not convinced to pick up this series…

Why You Should Read:

• childhood friends to lovers to enemies to lovers
• woman with knives!
• juliette cai determined queen
• touches on important themes of colonialism
• lgbt+ rep (side characters)
• lively and entrancing setting
• beautiful prose
• stunning covers
• chloe gong is a legend!!

READ. THESE. VIOLENT. DELIGHTS. enemies to lovers to enemies to….lovers? glorious setting, beautiful writing, dynamic characters, AND the author is awesome. if you haven’t read it yet, why not?? go read it!!

If you’d like to see some other thoughts about this book, feel free to check out reviews from some bloggers I love!

• Cherelle @ aboltoutofthebook
• Sam @literarydelirium
• Tea Time Lit

Our Violent Ends Preorders

Releasing 16th November 2021

US:

Signed Copies: https://www.astoriabookshop.com/?q=p.signed_books#Chloe%20Gong

(I believe you can get a signed and personalized copy from Astoria’s at the link above!!)

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1oveBN

Barnes and Noble Exclusive Edition (with Benedikt and Marshall short story): https://bit.ly/1oveBNEX

Amazon: http://bit.ly/1oveAM

Indiebound: http://bit.ly/1oveIB

Bookshop: http://bit.ly/1oveBKSS

UK:

Waterstones: http://bit.ly/1oveWS

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3wy5Rkq

Blackwell’s: https://bit.ly/3uu0f91

Worldwide:

Book Depository: http://bit.ly/1oveBD

I don’t want to make this post too long because I am planning on, of course, publishing a full review of Our Violent Ends in November, so that’s about all for today! I hope you enjoyed, thank you so much for reading through, and don’t forget to pick up These Violent Delights, and if you’ve read it then by sure to preorder the sequel!

Thank you all so much for tuning in to this post, and happy reading!

Have you read These Violent Delights, or heard about these books? Let me know and let’s chat in the comments!