Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Gripping spy thriller has nice blend of history and fantasy.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
FOUL LADY FORTUNE is Rosalind Lang, who's become virtually immortal after receiving a mysterious injection. She doesn't age, and her body can heal itself of almost any wound. So she becomes an assassin for the Nationalist party, trying to rid Shanghai of as many Communists as she can to try to make up for nearly destroying the city four years ago. Until her handler gives her a different kind of assignment. She has to pose as a married couple with Orion, one of Shanghai's most notorious playboys, to infiltrate a Japanese publisher in Shanghai, to find out whether the Japanese are behind a series of murders haunting the city. Of course everyone's keeping secrets from one another, but can they keep them safely?
Is It Any Good?
This is a gripping and tense spy thriller that skillfully blends in elements of historical fiction and superpower fantasy. Foul Lady Fortune picks up with characters from author Chloe Gong's These Violent Delights duology, although it's now four years later. It's not quite a sequel, but reading the other two books first will deepen your understanding of what some of the characters are grappling with. It's loosely based on Shakespeare's As You Like It, and may encourage viewers to read it or watch an adaptation.
Excitement and intrigue share the pages with sweeping and epic changes in the politics and society of Shanghai in the early 1930s. Teens will relate to Rosalind and Orion as they try to protect themselves, their loved ones, and their secrets while uncovering the truth behind the crimes. They'll also enjoy the fake couple's love-hate dynamics and witty dialogue. The first of two planned volumes, the story does not end here and will have fans eager for the next one.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Foul Lady Fortune. Is it too much? How is reading it different from seeing on screens and other media?
Did you read either of the These Violent Delights books? If you did, which do you like best? If you didn't, would you like to now?
Why are stories about spies so popular? What do we love about them? What are some of your favorites?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Historical Fiction
- Topics : Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , History
- Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Margaret K. McElderry
- Publication date : September 27, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
- Number of pages : 528
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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