The Bibliophile's Bookshelf

Title: These Violent Delights

Series: Secret Shanghai #1

Author: Chloe Gong

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling, Romance

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

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.

Perfect for fans of The Last Magician and Descendant of the Crane, this heart-stopping debut is an imaginative Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, with rival gangs and a monster in the depths of the Huangpu River. -summary from Goodreads

Oh my word! This book was absolutely amazing!!! The world building, characters, and storyline was excellently executed!

This is a Romeo and Juliet retelling! This takes place in Shanghai during the 1920s and has rival gangs (yes!).

There is a lot going on in this book. There are politics, romance, friendships, monsters, a descending madness, and a blood feud. Chloe Gong does a wonderful job conveying this chaotic city. I don’t know how to word this but I’ll give it a go. The writing style is easy to follow, but the perspective changes help convey how chaotic the city is.

The primary perspective is from Juliette, with some from Roma. We also get small snippets from other side characters, which is enjoyable.

I loved all of the characters! Benedikt was my absolute favorite, but there wasn’t a character I didn’t like. Juliette was a tough character, but there was a softness to her. I loved how complex she, and every character, was. I also loved Roma! He was so sweet!

I loved how many relationships were in this book. There was the main romance, as well as friendships, sibling relationships, cousin relationships, parent relationships, as well as an exploration between the relationship between a person in power and their subordinates. While the romance was the main focus, I feel like the other types of relationships were given their due attention.

I loved seeing our main characters interact with each other, as well as the side characters. We really got a sense of who Roma and Juliette were outside of the romance. We also got to know the side characters on a deeper level, which I loved.

I adored Benedikt and Marshall! They were wonderful characters, and I can’t wait to see more of their side of the story.

The world building was really nice. The characters had a solid history, which benefited the story immensely. The romance was also really well done. There wasn’t insta love, and it was a slow-burn, enemies to lovers’ relationship. They were actually enemies, too! I love Roma and Juliette together. They are a formidable team, have wonderful banter, and can be ridiculously sweet with each other!

This world has a depth to it that has been missing from my more recent fantasy reads. I loved the political/blood feud side of things. It was very engaging to read. I will say I loved the gang side of things. I thought it was thought provoking and interesting. I don’t read too many books with gangs in it. I thought it added another layer of drama and depth that I loved.

This book isn’t for the faint of heart though. There is a lot of death in this book. The characters were born and raised in gangs and aren’t afraid of starting and ending fights. There is also the madness, which I found to be the most gruesome. Essentially, the madness compels people to rip their own throats out. While not always described in super descriptive imagery, it is still somewhat gruesome.

That ending was wonderful! I am so glad it was ended where it was, instead of the chapter prior. You still need to know what happens next, but it does let you know that one beloved character is okay.

These Violent Delights is a young adult Romeo and Juliet retelling that takes place in Shanghai during the 1920s with rival gangs. There is a blood feud, political drama, romance, and monsters running rampant through this story, which keeps you on the edge of your seat and falling in love with every character!

Quotes

“I love you. I have always loved you.”