oh boy what an ending, thanks Chloe? I think? ( )

Took me a while to get through this one partly because I got busy (and because I read another book which I'll log later at some point). This duology continues to be an interesting take on Romeo and Juliet- there's some familiar beats, but other elements are remixed in surprising ways, all placed in the very real Chinese Civil War intermittently breaking out in 1927 amid an already fractured Shanghai.

The side characters get fleshing out and have a little bit more to do. The parental units were less present, though (but Tybalt is still a dick). ( )

Okay, I still don't know if this needed to be two books, but dang that was a satisfying ending. I wish this had just been one book in two parts, because that's really what this duology is.
This was a very good read. The blending of history with fantasy works well. ( )

Just like its predecessor, this book is absolutely phenomenal and so quick to read. ( )

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 /5
0 🌶 (YA)

I really enjoyed the wild ride into 1920s Shanghai that was book 1 (These Violent Delights). Yes we were following the Romeo & Juliet storyline, but the unique twist to the characters, setting, and overall tale had me hooked. When I got to book 2.... things just tapered off a bit for me. We still have a lot of exciting twists and turns, but a lot of the book felt too long for me. I was listening to it on audio and by the 45-50% mark I was tired. And by the 75% mark... I was still kind of wishing things could wrap up faster.

By the 80% mark things did finally ramp up... but that's a solid 30-40% of the book that could have been tightened up (in my view at least). I feel like book 1 was all about the main characters and introducing the plethora of side characters. Book 2 felt like the main characters kind of took a back seat and we dove more into the side characters. This makes sense because I think the later books in the spin-off series focus more on them, but still. It was kind of weird.

If you like diving deep into a foreign world, having a diverse cast of characters, having notes of the mystical, and of course focusing on star-crossed lovers, this series if for you. if you like Romeo and Juliet, there were a few key quotes thrown in for the Shakespeare stans out there. Just be prepared to be a bit impatient in the middle of book 2.

**Spoilers start here - really just the last scene in the epilogue**
I won't actually spoil much, but one scene I enjoyed was at the very very end, in the epilogue. We were left with a spot of hope... similar to the end of the Dark Knight movies where Alfred sees a certain couple not quite as dead as they should be. Will we ever know if it's actually them? No idea. But I liked the nod. ( )