Date of Completion: 12/01/2021
Those who do not care, those who are violent, those who delight in that which is terrible… they thrive
Right from the first page, Chloe Gong’s vivid writing style arrests the attention of unsuspecting readers. The ensuing world-building is skilfully detailed and fleshed out with no noticeable information dumps. In particular, Chloe effortlessly captures the historical context of 1926 Shanghai – from the picturesque descriptions of the city to the tense political climate.
Enriching the world-building is an intricate storyline that is clearly well-thought-out and aptly developed. I especially love the intrigue and action scenes woven into the story. My only criticism is that I found the pace too slow. Things progress slowly with a lack of urgency despite the premise. Whilst there are several twists, I was not massively surprised or affected by them.
Conversely, the slow pace of this book means that it is very character-driven. Juliette is a badass protagonist who also has flaws and challenges. However, I did find it annoying that her narrative becomes filled with her pining for Roma whenever he is present. Roma, on the other hand, did not make an equally strong impression as his point of view is presented much less than Juliette’s. Although I was not completely captivated by the romance between these two characters, I did enjoy reading their point of views.
Personally, I think it was Roma’s friends, Marshall and Benedikt, who really stole the show. I absolutely loved their banter and I definitely need more of them in the next book!
Marshall adored the sound of his own voice. In any circumstance where there was silence, he took it upon himself as a favour to the world to fill it.
So, all things considered, did I enjoy reading this book? Yes.
Did it leave up to the hype? Somewhat…
There is definitely no denying Chloe Gang’s excellent writing as she does an amazing job with the world-building and setting of this book. However, I did think that the pace of the storyline was dragged out and way too slow. Despite this, the twists and reveals towards the end of the book have me intrigued enough to pick up the next book in this series.
Do you agree or disagree with anything mentioned above? Let us know in the comments below.
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