Introduction

“She…hoped. And hope was dangerous. Hope was the most vicious evil of them all, the thing that had managed to thrive in Pandora’s box among misery, and disease, and sadness—and what could endure alongside others with such teeth if it didn’t have ghastly claws of its own?”

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.

My Thoughts

First of all, I grossly misjudged this book. I had heard so many good things about it but no one ever specified why it was so good, so I went into it with the hope that it would have the same romantic elements as Romeo and Juliet. This was meant to be my Valentine’s-themed read! Why did no one tell me it was going to be this INSANE, this VIOLENT, this INTENSE. I was expecting romance up to Shakespeare’s caliber, instead I was thrown right into the streets of Shanghai in the middle of a blood feud and I was not at all upset.

I didn’t think I would be able to finish the book by my usual deadlines because I found myself wanting to savor every moment of it. I loved Juliette, I loved Roma, I loved the story – I fell in love with everything about the book. I’m honestly at a loss for words because I didn’t expect it to be so good. The scenery, the representation, THE STORY – everything was great. And what an ending! I genuinely cannot tell you the last time a book ended in such a way that left my mouth open wide and my heart craving for more of these characters.

Let’s get into these characters:

Juliette Cai? A bombshell. At first I found her hard to identify with but the more we got into the story, the more I found myself rooting for her. Feeling like a stranger while you’re surrounded by your family’s culture is such a unique experience and I totally understood it. Roma Montagov? What a king. If you give me an enemies-to-lovers plot with a witty, sarcastic, and dark male character then I’m all in. Roma was exactly what this book needed and I loved the dynamic between the two. I especially love the way their dynamic differs from Romeo and Juliet – Shakespeare’s characters were willing to deny their families for each other but Roma and Juliette are 100% all for their families, even when it’s hard to be.

Protagonists aside, I have to do a shout-out to my favorite supporting characters: Marshall, Benedict, and my queen Kathleen. What interesting characters! They bring a flavor of diversity that the book definitely didn’t need given its setting, but surely benefitted from. Kathleen’s story made my heart ache and I hope we get more of her in the next book.

Speaking of the next book: I didn’t know this was going to be a duology when I started reading it. In normal circumstances, I would pass up on a book if I knew that it was meant to be part of a series solely so I can enjoy it as a whole when it’s finished (I’ve never read Children of Blood and Bone for this reason) but I’m glad I went into These Violent Delights so blindly. I was on the verge of a reading slump and this book really got me through it – plus I’ve already preordered Our Violent Ends.

Rating

Overall, I give the book five stars. I knew it was going to be a five star read from the first five chapters, honestly. Even if I couldn’t get into the story (which I’m glad was not the case) the prose, the setting, and the characters were too great to deny. Even though These Violent Delights isn’t my last book for the month, I’m sure it will be the winner of my February Five Star Reads. My next book has a tough act to follow, but if it’s not enough to rival These Violent Delights, then Chloe Gong will be going head to head with Madeline Miller since my top January Five Star Read was The Song of Achilles. Who will come out victorious? Only time will tell.