These Violent Delights: Volume 1

Chloe Gong

Jan 2021 · These Violent Delights Book 1 · Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by Cindy Kay

About this audiobook

The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery. A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang-a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette's first love . . . and first betrayal. But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns-and grudges-aside and work together, for if they can't stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.

Ratings and reviews

I think I would have liked the book better but the narrator was too quiet. Like their voice was so soft even when imo the characters should have been shouting or angry. It just ended up being background noise and it was hard to focus or get into it.

This was a delightful and exciting book for me, and one I'd highly recommend to my friends. The pace was good, the world setting was detailed and vibrant, the characters felt real, and I never knew what was going to happen next. Most of the novel we're following an incredibly independent, spunky Juliette, and I appreciated the female lead 📚 Excited for the sequel!

About the author

Chloe Gong is a student at the University of Pennsylvania, studying English and international relations. During her breaks, she's either at home in New Zealand or visiting her many relatives in Shanghai. Visit her at thechloegong.com.

Cindy Kay is a Chinese-Thai-American narrator and educator who grew up in the California Bay Area and lives in the Rockies. Her work has been described as listening to a "cozy best friend." She narrates fiction and nonfiction, and has studied Spanish, Portuguese, Thai, and Japanese.