Our Violent Ends is the gloriously decadent follow up to Chloe Gong’s spectacular (and bestselling) Romeo and Juliet reimagining, These Violent Delights— Which is even more thrillingly heart-stopping and unputdownable than the first!
“These violent delights have violent ends…you have always known this”
It’s 1927 and Shanghai teeters on the edge of revolution. After sacrificing her relationship with Roma to protect him from their families’ blood feud, Juliette has been on the warpath. One wrong move and her cousin will gladly usurp her. The only way to save the boy she loves from the wrath of her family is to have him hate her for murdering his best friend—if she were actually guilty maybe it’d sting less.
Still reeling from the death of his best friend and with his cousin barely speaking to him, he knows it’s his fault for letting Juliette back into his life. But he’s determined to make things right, even if it means killing the first girl he’s ever loved.
When a new monstrous danger emerges in the city (as well as whispers of civil war and the annihilation of the city’s gangster rule), Juliette and Roma are forced together to once again end the threat —but neither are prepared for the biggest threat of all: protecting their hearts from each other…
This was absolutely incredible! The setting was still phenomenally detailed and just as decadent and gritty as These Violent Delights but, the pacing was definitely faster (as was the tension-filled, action packed plot) and I absolutely LOVED it!
Everything was bigger—the stakes much higher and it was a rollercoaster of emotions the entire way, honestly I couldn’t put it down.
Roma and Juliette were exquisitely written though, more complex than the first book. The level of detail in the emotions and motivations of not just them but, several characters (Rosalind and Benedikt in particular) really brought them to life and gave realism to the narrative/plot. This may just have surpassed the Bard’s as my favourite depiction of Romeo and Juliet—EVER!
Overall, Our Violent Ends was heart-stoppingly explosive, bittersweet and utterly unmissable. I urge all YA historical fantasy lovers and Shakespearean aficionados to give this series a read, you won’t be disappointed!
Also thanks to Hodder&Stoughton and NetGalley for the e-arc.
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Our Violent Ends is Out Now