In glittering Shanghai, a monster awakens...
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 in chaos.Juliette Cai is the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang - a network of criminals far above the law.
Roma Montagov is the prodigal son of her greatest rivals, the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. He is also Juliette's first love . . . and first betrayal.When a deadly madness strikes gangsters on both sides, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, and a monster in the shadows. And 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, there will be no city left to rule.
Going into this post; I'm trying to be firm & think more critically about the plot, and me not being a fan of YA romance in general is the only drawback that comes to mind - however the romantic element is thankfully minimal, as readers are quickly wrapped up in the inner structures of the gangs, the overarching fantastical elements, the mystery and the political atmosphere of 1920s Shanghai.
I love stories set before mobiles and the Internet, because we get to experience old-school problem solving without Google to rely on for quick fixes, plus it really builds up the suspense whenever people need to contact each other but they can't just pull an Iphone out of their pocket.
I didn't want to get specific about the plotlines and possibly spoil anything in either book [I like going into books knowing little about them beforehand, don't you?), meaning that this review/rambly thoughts is far away from the best summary available, so thanks for bearing with me 😳
To be continued...
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