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These Violent Delights

the fierce, heart-pounding and achingly romantic fantasy retelling of Romeo and Juliet

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These Violent Delights

By: Chloe Gong
Narrated by: Cindy Kay
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About this listen

 Perfect for fans of The Last Magician and Descendant of the Crane, this heart-stopping, New York Times bestselling 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.

In glittering Shanghai, a monster awakens . . .

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.


'Heady, smart, and vicious' Tessa Gratton, author of The Queens of Innis Lear

'Deliciously dark' Natasha Ngan, New York Times bestselling author of Girls of Paper and Fire

'Dark and beautiful' Emiko Jean, author of Empress of all Seasons

'A terrific, deliciously unputdownable read' June Hur, author of The Silence of Bones

(P)2020 Tantor Media©2020 Chloe Gong Fantasy Fiction Historical Fiction Literature & Fiction Science Fiction & Fantasy United States World Literature Heartfelt China

Critic Reviews

A deliciously dark twist on Romeo and Juliet that feels vibrant, modern, and wholly exciting. Gong's writing brims with energy. I was swept away to her dark Shanghai from the first page and never wanted to leave!
Heady, smart, and vicious, These Violent Delights strikes every note with precision, layering romance and politics into a roaring 20s Shanghai of both monsters and monstrous imperialism
Chloe Gong's These Violent Delights plants a Shakespearean classic in the rich soil of 1920s Shanghai, allowing her characters to grow, flourish, and steal your heart while warring against their own
Gong ensnares readers with a delicious tale of family rivalries and forbidden love all set against the glittering backdrop of 1920s Shanghai. Don't miss this dark and beautiful retelling of Romeo and Juliet!
Full of glitter, suspense and gore, These Violent Delights takes readers into the perilous world of 1926 Shanghai . . . Chloe Gong's debut is a terrific, deliciously unputdownable read!
These Violent Delights combines strong characterisation, skilfully interwoven political insight and an atmospheric portrayal of a Shanghai in the throes of change
A lush, wholly original debut that will satiate Shakespeare aficionados and draw those seeking an engrossing, multifaceted historical fantasy
A must-read with a conclusion that will leave readers craving more
The setting's brilliant, a city split by merchant colonies and divided into gang territories, in a country itself fractured politically and on the verge of revolution
Filled with Gong's lush prose, These Violent Delights brings 1920s Shanghai to life, along with a romance that is weighed with history
Stylish and engrossing
A rip-roaring, magic-tinged epic of cabarets and speakeasies, dens and divas . . . Gong's vivid Shanghai is a place to get enjoyably lost in
Gong's darkly seductive YA debut transplants Romeo and Juliet to 20s Shanghai for a gripping story of rival gangs, forbidden love and a plague that threatens to tear the city asunder
The Bard would surely approve
These Violent Delights is a phenomenal book and a wonder of a debut . . . Chloe has written star-crossed lovers/lovers-to-enemies like I've never read before, and if you love yearning, then trust me: you'll love These Violent Delights
This is the kind of book where I sort of just want to open my mouth and let the words expressing my love tumble out with abandon . . . I truly loved everything about this book
More than anything, These Violent Delights is a rich portrait of a seldom-depicted time and place
An unforgettable reimagining of Romeo and Juliet
All stars
Most relevant
The narrator seems to whisper pretty much all of the time, & there is a particularly famous line that occurs towards the end of the novel, that I couldn’t believe how emotionless she read it as. I laughed when I really should have been upset.

The novel itself is pretty great though. 3.5 stars, I’d say. I’m looking forward to the sequel.

Why are we whispering?

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I love both the action/spying/fighting scenes, as well as the criticism against colonialism in China. I love all the characters, specially juliette, marshall and benedikt!

i love it!

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I found the 2nd half of this story better than the first half. ⚠️spoiler alert ⚠️ after Alisa got infected the story picked up and got good. to me the begging felt like it was repeating information and there wasn't anything interesting going on

good but not great

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