Let’s Talk: My Current and Recent Reads

Happy Wednesday, my friends! I hope that the week has been treating you well so far!

Work has been really busy lately, so I’ve been reading at a much slower pace than usual. However, I was lucky enough to receive ARCs of two of my most anticipated reads of 2022, Chloe Gong’s Foul Lady Fortune and Elisa A. Bonnin’s Dauntless!

I’ve been sneaking in all the reading time I can manage while also juggling work and trying to maintain a somewhat healthy sleep schedule, and I thought it would be fun to talk a little bit about each book and share some of my spoiler-free thoughts!

Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong

Chloe Gong has absolutely done it again. She is just so masterful with words; once I start reading one of her books it’s hard to look away, and Foul Lady Fortune was no exception! I finished this one over the weekend, and let me tell you, I am still reeling from that ending. Once I read the final line I just found myself saying, “How did I not catch that?” over and over again, and truth be told, I’m already itching to do a reread and pick up on all the clues that I missed.

I loved learning more about Rosalind, as I was completely fascinated by her in the TVD duology (what can I say? I love a well written “morally gray” character) and have absolutely fallen in love with her through Foul Lady Fortune. Chloe herself has said that she’s “so proud of how Rosalind shines” in this book, and I 100% agree with her! I also loved seeing more of Alisa Montagova and Celia Lang, both of whom I absolutely adore, and all the new characters were so interesting and likable — the banter between Orion and Rosalind may be my favorite thing ever. 

If you loved These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends, I just know that you’ll absolutely adore Foul Lady Fortune. I can’t wait to see what happens in the second book, and until then, I’ll just be sitting here rereading all three books in the Chloe Gong literary universe.

It’s 1931 in Shanghai, and the stage is set for a new decade of intrigue.

Four years ago, Rosalind Lang was brought back from the brink of death, but the strange experiment that saved her also stopped her from sleeping and aging—and allows her to heal from any wound. In short, Rosalind cannot die. Now, desperate for redemption from her traitorous past, she uses her abilities as an assassin for her country.

Code name: Fortune.

But when the Japanese Imperial Army begins its invasion march, Rosalind’s mission pivots. A series of murders is causing unrest in Shanghai, and the Japanese are under suspicion. Rosalind’s new orders are to infiltrate foreign society and identify the culprits behind the terror plot before more of her people are killed.

To reduce suspicion, however, she must pose as the wife of another Nationalist spy, Orion Hong, and though Rosalind finds Orion’s cavalier attitude and playboy demeanor infuriating, she is willing to work with him for the greater good. But Orion has an agenda of his own, and Rosalind has secrets that she wants to keep buried. As they both attempt to unravel the conspiracy, the two spies soon find that there are deeper and more horrifying layers to this mystery than they ever imagined.

Links for Foul Lady Fortune: Goodreads | TheStoryGraph | Bookshop | IndieBound

Dauntless by Elisa A. Bonnin

It’s a well established fact on the blog that I am eagerly awaiting the release of Elisa A. Bonnin’s debut novel, Dauntless. Back in September, Elisa did an interview with us which only heightened my excitement. You can read that full interview here to learn a bit more about Elisa and Dauntless. 

I received an ARC of Dauntless last week and was so excited (I started a spoiler-free reading thread on Twitter, which you can follow here). I’m not terribly far in right now — pesky life getting in the way of reading time — but I am utterly fascinated by this world that Bonnin has created! The world building is fantastically done; there is such a clear vision of what this world is and how it works. The writing is so descriptive and lush, I can easily picture everything that is happening. I particularly love how the valor is so connected to the earth and dependent on natural resources — I love the emphasis on how water is revitalizing for them and just the importance of being connected to the earth. 

All the characters are super interesting, and I’m loving Seri as our protagonist. Her backstory is still a mystery to me as of now, but I’m super fascinated and can’t wait until the reveal of what it is that happened to her before she joined Eshai, Raya and the other members of this settlement. I’m really looking forward to learning more about Eshai and Raya — especially with Eshai’s worries regarding the way [redacted] has affected Raya’s attitude. Additionally, I’ve just met Tsana and I can’t wait to see how the relationship between Seri and Tsana progresses.

I may only be a short way through Dauntless, but I’m really really enjoying it so far and anticipate it being one of my favorite reads of the year!

“Be dauntless, for the hopes of the People rest in you.”

Seri’s world is defined by very clear rules: The beasts prowl the forest paths and hunt the People. The valiant explore the unknown world, kill the beasts, and gain strength from the armor they make from them. As an assistant to Eshai Unbroken, a young valor commander with a near-mythical reputation, Seri has seen first-hand the struggle to keep the beasts at bay and ensure the safety of the spreading trees where the People make their homes. That was how it always had been, and how it always would be. Until the day Seri encounters Tsana.

Tsana is, impossibly, a stranger from the unknown world who can communicate with the beasts – a fact that makes Seri begin to doubt everything she’s ever been taught. As Seri and Tsana grow closer, their worlds begin to collide, with deadly consequences. Somehow, with the world on the brink of war, Seri will have to find a way to make peace.

Links for Dauntless: Goodreads | TheStoryGraph | Bookshop | IndieBound

I’d love to know what you’ve been reading lately, and if you’ve got Foul Lady Fortune or Dauntless on your TBR! Let me know in the comments!