The brilliantly imaginative New York Times bestselling fantasy retelling of Romeo and Juliet set against the immersive backdrop of 1920s Shanghai.
A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city in the grip of chaos. At its heart 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 …
The brilliantly imaginative New York Times bestselling fantasy retelling of Romeo and Juliet set against the immersive backdrop of 1920s Shanghai.
A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city in the grip of chaos. At its heart 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.
Filled with romance, intrigue and betrayal, this heart-stopping debut is perfect for fans of The Last Magician and Descendant of the Crane.
I really liked this debut, the creativity, Romeo and Juliette retelling in 1920s Shanghai, plus the characters were a great combo^^
Reread 2021 : Still love it, it did not give a five star feel (cant explain why lol), but the quality is here, I liked the mix of different serious subject matters like colonialism or capitalism and misoginy, with a quest for saving Shanghai from a deadly contagion
romeo & juliet in 1920s shanghai with an epidemic subplot
3 stars
now does that sound enticing to you? because it sure did to me. i found this book via youtuber xiran jay zhao who recommended it to fans of the industrialized asian aesthetic of republic city in legend of korra. and it does deliver on that in spades. the book really gives a glimpse into the inner workings of a city ravaged by gang violence and further torn apart by european colonialism. there could not be a better setting for a retelling of a shakespeare classic.
the fantasy subplot with the monster that has everyone tearing out their own throats honestly gets in the way of that more than it helps out though and while it does give the characters something to do throughout the sloggish middle of the book, it still feels like it wasn't needed after all. not to mention that it also creates a setup for a sequel …
now does that sound enticing to you? because it sure did to me. i found this book via youtuber xiran jay zhao who recommended it to fans of the industrialized asian aesthetic of republic city in legend of korra. and it does deliver on that in spades. the book really gives a glimpse into the inner workings of a city ravaged by gang violence and further torn apart by european colonialism. there could not be a better setting for a retelling of a shakespeare classic.
the fantasy subplot with the monster that has everyone tearing out their own throats honestly gets in the way of that more than it helps out though and while it does give the characters something to do throughout the sloggish middle of the book, it still feels like it wasn't needed after all. not to mention that it also creates a setup for a sequel that is heavily hinted at. and by "heavily hinted" i mean the book ends with the words "to be continued".
i'd still say this was a good read, if only for the breathtaking setting.
Review of 'These Violent Delights' on 'Storygraph'
5 stars
So I knew this was a retelling. I knew it was a Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920's Shanghai. This absolutely blew me away beyond anything I could have expected based on that description. I caught a few allusions and recognized enough characters from the original to feel that this is unquestionably a retelling. But, instead of feeling like the old play in a new skin this feels like it shattered the old version and built something wholly different from the pieces, reforming and rearranging them so that you recognize bits of familiar features in surprising places but could have never predicted what the whole would look like when you step back and take it all in. It's everything I could have wanted in a retelling with this premise and even more than I dared expect. The choices in which originally minor characters to elevate to major character status …
So I knew this was a retelling. I knew it was a Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920's Shanghai. This absolutely blew me away beyond anything I could have expected based on that description. I caught a few allusions and recognized enough characters from the original to feel that this is unquestionably a retelling. But, instead of feeling like the old play in a new skin this feels like it shattered the old version and built something wholly different from the pieces, reforming and rearranging them so that you recognize bits of familiar features in surprising places but could have never predicted what the whole would look like when you step back and take it all in. It's everything I could have wanted in a retelling with this premise and even more than I dared expect. The choices in which originally minor characters to elevate to major character status feel perfect. The fantasy twist gives a plot reason beyond sudden love for the MC's to actually have to work together, while still keeping elements of that young love and naïve passion in their history bleeding into the present. It's enemies-to-lovers without losing the reasons that they were and are enemies, making explicit all the reasons their mutual efforts are a terrible idea and a necessary thing.
I love the worldbuilding and characterization, especially the way which languages are spoken and when is used to flesh out the characters and give little hints as to their state of mind in any one moment. The MC's all have very different voices, making it pretty easy to keep track of who's narrating at any one time. The ending is great, except for the bit where the sequel isn't available yet, but time will remedy that. I love it but it hurts, which is definitely a theme in the book so it feels appropriate for that to be how I feel about the end. Juliette is loveably stabby, her rapport with Roma feels anguished, heartfelt, and very believable.
