These Violent Delights

Book Title: These Violent Delights

Author: Chloe Gong

Date Started: September 15th 2020

Date Completed: October 11th 2020

Genres: Historical, Fantasy, Romance

Quality Rating: Three Stars

Enjoyment Rating: Three Star

Final Rating: Three Stars

Review:

◆ Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this eBook copy for review ◆

I have to admit, I did nearly put this book down at least three times before finally deciding it wasn't for me - so there was clearly something that made me want to keep trying. But, in the end, it just didn't do it for me and despite continuing on multiple times I only made it 35% through. It's not a bad book, but it's quite YA-ish and contrite, and it just wasn't keeping my attention enough.

A lot happens, even in the first third I read, but the story progresses at a snail's pace. We'd only really achieved two things at the time I stopped reading. I mean, really, it's so repetitive, it's basically the same three scenes over and over again. There's an edge of Libba Bray's The Diviners in the way it builds up the monster mystery, but the character's plotlines aren't holding the core strong enough for it to remain compelling. Gong also dumps a lot of information constantly - while the cultural and historical aspects are really interesting, I wish it had come across more in action and behaviour than explicit explanations.

I'm also not a massive fan of the leads, and I didn't feel their chemistry at all - and that's always a big factor for me personally. Most of their character is built up from what has happened in the past, but the problem is that it gets so concerned with the backstory (and with being mysterious about it) that it doesn't actually get to telling this story. It was also, for me, too dramatic. I didn't feel the tension because it felt like someone held up a *cue gasp* sign. This doesn't make it bad, it's just a stylistic element that I'm not a fan of.

The whole book just felt pulled in too many different directions: at times it was a melodramatic YA gangster love story, then it was a monster mystery, then it was a historical political drama. All are great and can be balanced together, but I just don't think Gong quite managed it for me this time.