If you’ve fallen in love with Chloe Gong’s These Violent Delights duology, we know you can’t WAIT for Foul Lady Fortune! Even though Our Violent Ends broke our hearts into a million tiny pieces the first time we read it (thanks, Chloe), we knew we wanted to relive this epic story in preparation for the beginning of the next duology.
Don’t have time to re-read the book to prep for Foul Lady Fortune? We’ve got you covered with this epic recap, and if you need a refresher on These Violent Delights too, be sure to check out that recap here!
WARNING – if you haven’t experienced the UTTER JOY/SOUL-CRUSHING PAIN that comes with reading These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends… go read them both ASAP and stop reading here to avoid any spoilers.
The Our Violent Ends Recap You Need Before You Read Foul Lady Fortune
Recap Part 1: Return to Shanghai
We return to Shanghai four months after the events of These Violent Delights, on the first week of the new year. The madness in Shanghai is gone, and no monsters lurk in the city’s waters anymore… or so we think. Although the monster is no longer terrorizing the streets, the blood feud between the Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers has returned to peak tension levels and Juliette and Roma are (and we cannot stress this enough) NOT a couple.
Plus, revolution is on the horizon as Nationalist troops march north through the country, and both gangs are doing their best to get on the right side of the conflict before the army arrives. Both are vying for control over weaponry from a mysterious merchant while simultaneously fielding blackmail letters from someone threatening to resurrect the monster of Shanghai (GASP), an “insurance policy” created by Paul Dexter before his death.
As all this craziness is going on, our beloved characters are SUFFERING.
Juliette has decided to sacrifice her relationship with Roma to protect him from the blood feud, even if that means that he believes her responsible for Marshall’s death. She also must watch her back around her sneaky cousin Tyler, who may or may not have plans to usurp her as the heir to the Scarlet Gang, but at least she has Kathleen and Rosalind on her side (right?).
Meanwhile, Roma is left devastated and betrayed after Marshall’s “death” at Juliette’s hands and swears vengeance even if it means killing the woman he loves. While these two are wallowing in their feelings of heartbreak and betrayal, Benedikt is in mourning and desperately missing his beloved Marshall.
Recap Part 2: The Monster (Re)Awakens
Just when we’re getting back into the swing of things in Shanghai, the monster makes its comeback, but in a VERY different way from what we’ve seen before. This time, it doesn’t spread uncontrollably, but instead strikes at the instruction of its master.
While Juliette works to create a vaccine to prevent a recurrence of the madness from last year, fights break out, blood is drawn, and Benedikt is almost taken out by the Scarlet Gang but is saved by a mysterious stranger (who could it be?! Marshall, obviously!).
At this point, we worry Roma and Juliette will go on threatening and attacking each other for the rest of the book, but a tenuous truce is called when their fathers propose an arrangement: work together to find out who is sending the letters threatening to release the monster back onto the city.
Recap Part 3: The Investigation Begins
Juliette and Roma settle into a rhythm as they investigate, targeting foreigners for information, asking their questions, and ending up with even MORE questions. As they search, they discover further proof that Tyler is not to be trusted, and that a spy has infiltrated the ranks of the Scarlet Gang, feeding information to the White Flowers. Who could it be???
Our heroes take a trip to Kunshan to continue their investigation and finally come face-to-face with the monster once again and see the horrifying reality of its new form. Juliette decides to play hero, saving the day but also terrifying Roma at the same time, leading to a KISS!!! These two insist they still “hate” each other, but we know the truth.
In Kunshan they discover that the vaccine flyers they found in the city don’t lead to a vaccine center at all, but a shopkeeper with only one dose. Still, it’s better than nothing, and Roma and Juliette return to Shanghai with a single vaccine.
Back in Shanghai, the mysterious blackmailer is pitting the White Flower and the Scarlet Gang against one another. During the fighting the White Flower’s safe house is burned to the ground by Tyler, severing the precarious truce between the gangs, and an unconscious Benedikt is rescued by Marshall without his knowledge. We can’t WAIT for these two to be truly reunited!
Lord Cai informs Juliette that the Communists have sided with the White Flowers, making the Scarlet Gang’s hold on the city is more tenuous than ever. But Juliette hatches a plan to get Roma back on her side. Together they agree to a fragile truce to work on a vaccine.
Just when we think everything is back on track and going according to plan, Juliette’s life is threatened again, this time by… Benedikt?! To get revenge for (what he thought was) Juliette taking Marshall’s life, Benedikt nearly shoots Juliette, but she reveals that Marshall is, in fact, alive (!!!) just in time. Benedikt and Marshall are reunited in an ADORABLE scene, but Roma is still in the dark.
Recap Part 4: Tensions in Shanghai Reach Their Breaking Point
Just when you think you can trust everyone again, the identity of the White Flowers’ spy is revealed to be… Rosalind! Like Juliette, Rosalind fell for a White Flower (Dimitri) and has been feeding him information, but unlike Roma, the White Flower she fell for is NOT a good person, and Rosalind is severely punished for her mistakes.
As our hero and heroine are focused on other tasks, Roma’s adorable sister, Alisa, is kidnapped by Tyler (a spectacularly poor choice on his part), throwing everyone into a frensy! Roma and Tyler agree to a duel for Alisa’s return, but Juliette can’t let this happen, knowing in her heart that Roma will die if all goes according to Tyler’s plans. She takes matters into her own hand, shooting her own cousin to save her love right as the duel begins, and then FINALLY reveals to Roma that Marshall is alive.
Recap Part 5: REVOLUTION (and marriage)!!!
Revolution has reached Shanghai! The city is in chaos and has fallen under the rule of the Nationalist Army, but Roma and Juliette have finally reconciled and declared their love for one another, and that’s all we care about… right?
But there’s more! Rosalind drops another bombshell: her lover, Dimitri, is the blackmailer! Dimitri has been behind the chaos in the city at every turn, and wanted to take over the White Flowers, destroying the city in the process and giving the citizens of Shanghai “hope” when they are hopeless.
As the fighting rages on, the Nationalist Party is fully in control and serves a devastating order: any members of the Communist Party of China (including the White Flowers) are to be purged from Shanghai. Juliette and Kathleen scramble to make a plan and save Roma and Alisa, while Roma works with Lourens to re-create the vaccine to stop Dimitri’s plan for the city’s destruction. Juliette and Roma are reunited (once again) and decide to pledge their love to one another in an impromptu marriage ceremony (TEARS), erasing the blood feud between them and starting anew.
Meanwhile, Kathleen sheds her former identity, fully coming into herself and taking the name Celia, and joins the revolution (go Celia!!!), and just when we think a happy ending is in the cards for our heroes, Benedikt realizes that the Nationalists and Scarlets know of Roma and Juliette’s escape plans and will be waiting for them to make their move. So, he sneaks over to where the Nationalists are hanging out, because Marshall’s father is a general in the Nationalist Army (what?!), and reunites with his BFF, leading to the most “aww”-inducing confession of love we’ve EVER HEARD.
Recap Part 6: The Final Battle
Benedikt and Marshall make their escape from under the watchful eye of the Nationalists and attempt to rescue Roma, Juliette, and Alisa, only to find them engaged in a standoff with Dimitri himself. Roma, Marshall, and Alisa are taken prisoner while Juliette is returned to her family, only to discover an unexpected gift: the vaccine in pill form, which she takes with her as she escapes once again (this time with Benedikt’s help) to save Roma.
Juliette and Benedikt barter with Dimitri for Marshall and Alisa’s release, but Juliette herself chooses to stay with Roma, not wanting to be separated from him again (SWOON). Juliette transfers the vaccine to Roma, protecting them from what’s to come as she baits the dormant monster to attack Dimitri and his henchmen, killing them all. It’s a bittersweet victory though, because in a HEARTBREAKING ending that we’ll never forgive Chloe for, Roma and Juliette sacrifice themselves by causing an explosion to destroy the monster, and themselves in the process.
THE END
If it’s any consolation, we find out that Alisa, Benedikt, and Marshall made a safe escape, and Roma and Juliette’s legacy lives on. The blood feud ended with our heroes’ deaths, and Alisa carries on with the memory of her brother alive in her heart. Luckily, we’ll get to hear more from Rosalind, Celia, Alisa, and many new characters in Chloe’s next book, Foul Lady Fortune, but we’ll never forget Roma and Juliette. (cue tears)