These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong is a unique and delightful take on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, told in the setting of 1920’s Shanghai, where two rival gangs with a long-lasting blood feud—The White Flowers and the Scarlet Gang—rule the streets. The heirs to these gangs, Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov, were engaged in a secret, forbidden relationship when they were young, though their love for each other was lost (or was it?) after Roma betrayed Juliette. Four years after their illicit relationship has ended, they both despised each other and have dedicated their lives to their gangs—however, when a deadly disease arises that threatens to ruin the Scarlets and the Flowers alike, the heirs are forced to work together to salvage their city and their gangs. 

This book is everything I could have expected and more. It’s fast-paced and the plot is the perfect balance of originality and small pieces taken from Romeo and Juliet. Gong puts a fantastical spin on things with the existence of the contagion—also known as the ‘madness’—but also weaves it seamlessly with the gritty atmosphere and the harsh reality of gang life in this cutthroat city. In Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet, the characters were, of course, forbidden from loving each other due to the conflict between their families; however, I think Gong’s take on the play really elevates the stakes of a forbidden relationship, as being lovers from opposing, dangerous gangs poses even larger consequences than those that were presented in the original work. As one might expect, the entire book has much higher stakes than its inspiration, and it’s the kind of story that has plenty of twists and turns to keep you hooked and reading to find out just what will happen at the end of it all. Not to mention the cliffhanger—waiting to buy the second book was an extreme exercise in patience and willpower.  

The characters in this book were all lovely—Juliette is the prime example of a strong, badass female character who can handle herself, but I didn’t feel like she was too much of a cliche, as opposed to some other female mcs I’ve read about. She’s cunning and has a sharp sense of humour, and while she may seem entirely ruthless at times, it’s shown throughout the book that she cares immensely about her gang and the people in it, especially her family. She’s willing to do anything for them, no matter how dirty her hands have to get. 

Her opposing heir, Roma, is like ice where Juliette is fire. He’s much more calm and aloof, and despite being someone with buckets of blood on his hands, he much prefers not to kill. Where Juliette prefers to dive into situations almost recklessly, he errs on the side of rational thought and planning. The two work very well together despite their “hatred” of each other, and I loved how they were so different but also had their similarities, which really added to their chemistry. 

While these two main characters would have been a pleasure to read about on their own, its two side characters that really tied it all together for me. Marshall Seo and Benedikt Montagov are the best comic relief I could possibly ask for. Their dynamic is similar to Juliette’s and Roma’s, in a way, as Marshall is weird in the best way possible and described as “a raging, two-ton explosive”; whereas, Benedikt is said to be “a modesty loaded grenade, putting its own pin in anytime someone tried to pull it out.” They balance each other out just as Roma and Juliette do, and their interactions are honestly such a delight to read. (Their slow burn killed me a little, though, I won’t lie.)

In conclusion, I usually don’t enjoy enemies to lovers very much, but this book had a chokehold on me, and I believe any fans of fantasy, crime, and morally grey characters should read it as soon as possible. You’d be doing yourself a favour.