About the Book
Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong
Genre: Historical fantasy
Book Review
Oh my goodness! Our Violent Ends picks up where the the first book left off, so stop reading if you don’t want spoilers for These Violent Delights. My review for the first book is here.
Juliette and Roma, heirs to rival gangs and lovers, eradicated the city of one monster spreading a violent plague, only to discover that the creator has five more that he ordered unleashed upon his death. The political situation in the city is fragile as well, as the gangs, the Communists and the Nationalists under Chiang Kai-Shek battle for control of the city. Somebody’s blackmailing both gangs – Scarlets and White Flowers alike – for money to stop them from unleashing the monsters, and it’s unclear what their affiliation and motives are. Roma and Juliette are determined to get to the bottom of it, while fighting their growing feelings for each other.
This book was a page turner, as loyalties are tested as the city falls to pieces, forming unlikely alliances and breaking apart long-standing ties. The city turns into an absolute bloodbath, very appropriate for a Shakespeare retelling. The reader was never quite sure what’s coming next.
I loved all the scenes with Roma and Juliette, as they continue to choose each other, despite the consequences to their respective gangs. Their chemistry is electric, and the moments when Juliette allows herself to be vulnerable are swoon-worthy. Roma and Juliette’s love of the city and the people living in it is admirable as well.
The ending was both surprising and inevitable.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As a Books a Million affiliate, I may earn commission from qualifying purchases made after clicking links in this post. All opinions are my own.
