These Violent Delights

Chloe Gong

Book 1 of These Violent Delights

Set in 1920s Shanghai, this Romeo-and-Juliet-inspired YA fantasy follows Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov, heirs to two rival gangs who were once secretly in love and are now forced back together when a mysterious contagion causes people across the city to claw out their own throats. As they investigate the growing body count and a rumored monster in the river, old wounds and new dangers force them to decide whether they can trust each other again. The novel blends political intrigue, gang warfare, and a slow-simmering reunion romance against a richly detailed historical backdrop.