Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong is the spinoff novel of her previous duology series These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends. It can be considered as the third book in her Secret Shanghai series. However, this book introduces the readers to both new and old characters.
Four years ago, Rosalind Lang was brought back to life with mysterious powers that granted her the ability to heal herself from any wound, making her almost immortal. With her newfound power, she is desperate for redemption after her traitorous past, and becomes an assassin for the Nationalists in her country. Code name: Fortune. Her new mission however, involves figuring out what’s causing the series of murders in Shanghai and identifying who’s behind it. However, she acts undercover with another spy, Orion Hong, to reduce suspicion. Together, they play the role of a married couple, but secretly, they are trying to unravel a conspiracy, one that is much more complicated than they ever imagined.
Considering that the book was a spin-off from the previous duology, I didn’t know what to expect going in. I wasn’t sure if I was going like the main character Rosalind because of her past actions in the series, but Chloe Gong did an amazing job with redeeming her character. Revealing her desperateness to become better and escape from her shameful past, she embarks on a new life completing missions assigned to her. It’s safe to say that she has become one of the most beloved characters alongside many others with her cold personality but strong mentality. Although she comes off that way, deep down she is just trying to protect everyone that she cares about, like her sister Celia. Rosalind had one of the best character developments because of the fact that most readers did not like her character before, but when she is the main character in her own, readers can’t help but see her growth and love her.
Additionally, the romance seen in this book is the fake marriage trope, in which two characters are faking a marriage together for convenience. In this case, Rosalind gets paired up with another spy, Orion Hong. The two do not get along especially in the beginning, but as they work together on the same mission, they are bound to get to know each other. However, Rosalind fears that Orion will find out about her past and who she really is. She doesn’t want her cover blown and her secrets spilled out to the wrong person. The one time she opened her heart out, was the worst mistake she ever made. But what’s interesting is that Orion himself also has his fair share of complications in family issues. So the more time they spend together, the more chemistry there is between the two, resulting in a nice and worthy slowburn.
The plot itself was pretty complicated because it dealt with both Nationalist and Communist agents. There were so many spies and agents that it was often confusing to follow through with everything, but I do think that’s what makes it so mysterious and unpredictable. I was unable to see through anything and only follow along with what the characters were experiencing. This resulted in many shocking plot twists thrown in here and there in the book. Though, the best feeling a book could probably give you is when you are sucked into the world and you get completely immersed in the story. The plot was never slow and was well-paced for what it had to offer.
Finally, I definitely recommend those who loved Chloe Gong’s first duology to read this spinoff and treat it as a third book in her Secret Shanghai series. It’s exciting to see a bunch of the old characters and get to know new ones. The writing is simple and yet fun to read, sucking readers into a world with tons of action going on. The undercover spy plot along with the fake marriage trope is very much enjoyable especially because Rosalind and Orion’s chemistry was off the charts. I’ll be looking forward to the sequel, Foul Heart Huntsman, which is releasing on September 26, 2023.