At OwlCrate, we work with fantastic authors whose books we feature as special or limited editions. The books featured in our monthly boxes are always new releases from a range of diverse authors.
This article is a spotlight on Chloe Gong, the author behind the books that were in both our December 2020 Young Adult Fantasy and July 2023 Adult Fantasy boxes. Read on to find out more about her!
Chloe Gong’s Bio
Chloe Gong, a #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning author, writes both YA fantasy and adult fantasy. Her debut novel, These Violent Delights, was published in 2020, but Gong’s passion led her to begin writing long before then. By the end of 2020, she had written not one but nine books.
With her amazing writing, it’s no surprise that she was named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 for 2024, and her work has been featured in the likes of the New York Times, Cosmopolitan, and more. Chloe was born in Shanghai and raised in Auckland (NZ), studied in Philadelphia, and now lives in New York City.
Chloe Gong’s Books
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To date, Gong has written one complete series, with two more in progress. She has published multiple books across both YA and adult fantasy. Her YA series include Secret Shanghai and Coldwire (coming in fall 2025).
YA Fantasy by Chloe Gong
Secret Shanghai is made up of four books, including her debut: These Violent Delights, Our Violent Ends, Foul Lady Fortune, and Foul Heart Huntsman. There is also the Last Violent Call, a two-novella collection that can be read before the fourth book.
Although this is a four-book series, the first two books (These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends) and the last two books (Foul Lady Fortune and Foul Heart Huntsman) are both self-contained duologies. The latter books expand on Our Violent Ends, so it’s important to know that these will contain spoilers for the first two books in the series.
These Violent Delights is a fantasy retelling of Romeo and Juliet set in 1926 Shanghai. We follow Juliette Cai, who leads the Scarlet Gang as its heir. The rival White Flower gang is led by Roma Montagov, Juliette's first love, who betrayed her. When a mysterious illness infects both of their gangs, the two are forced to work together to save the city.
The sequel to this book is Our Violent Ends, set a year later, in 1927. Shanghai is now on the brink of a revolution, and Juliette and Roma work together to fight monsters and politics, all while protecting their hearts from each other and dealing with their complicated relationship.
Foul Lady Fortune is set in 1931 Shanghai, following Rosalind Lang, an immortal assassin who's on a mission to investigate a series of murders. For her plan to infiltrate foreign societies to work, she goes undercover as the wife of Orion Hong, who’s also a spy. Despite the fact that she finds him infuriating, they work together and soon discover there's something more going on than meets the eye.
The sequel, Foul Heart Huntsman, picks up in 1932, where Rosalind is in hiding after her cover is exposed. Now her goal is to save Orion, who had his memories of her erased. After escaping the city, Rosalind forms alliances with former enemies, and together they try to find a cure to his mother’s invention and prevent an invasion, all while fighting to save the man she loves and the nation itself.
Adult Fantasy by Chloe Gong
Flesh and False Gods is a trilogy that includes Immortal Longings (published in 2023; see more information about the OwlCrate edition below), Vilest Things (releasing in September 2024), and an untitled final book (releasing in spring 2026).
OwlCrate Edition of Immortal Longings
Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong was our July 2023 'Let The Games Begin' Adult Fantasy choice—it was also the first Adult Fantasy book we did! This book is equal parts historical fiction, science fiction, and romance and is a retelling of Antony and Cleopatra.
This story follows Princess Calla Tuoleimi, who is in hiding after a palace massacre she caused. In the kingdom of Talin, the annual games held at the palace in San-Er are a chance to gain riches for those confident in their abilities to jump between bodies, but first, they must fight to the death. For Calla, winning also means the chance to see her reclusive uncle, whom she wants to kill.
Exiled aristocrat Anton Makusa, one of the best jumpers in the kingdom, joins the games to win the money and save his childhood love from a coma. Despite having different goals—revenge for Calla and saving a life for Anton—an alliance forms, which develops into something deeper. The two are also joined by August, King Kasa’s adopted son. As the games progress, Calla must decide what she truly wants—love or revolution?
Features for this OwlCrate Edition:
- Signed by Chloe Gong
- Exclusive redesigned cover illustrated by Weitong Mai , designed by Lichen & Limestone
- Signed tip-in page designed by @divineliterary
- Sprayed edges
“A living thing, when faced with a break or injury, is compelled to heal itself” ― Chloe Gong, Immortal Longings
