Foul Heart Huntsman is the final book in the Foul Lady Fortune duology by Chloe Gong inspired by Shakespeare’s play As You Like It, which is a story about Rosalind, Oliver, Orlando (changed to Orion in this series), and Celia. In the original play, everyone ends up married. Oliver to Celia, Rosalind to Orlando, and Phoebe to Silvius (changed to Silas in this series). As I mentioned in my previous review, As You Like It was one of the plays by Shakespeare that I have not read before, so I wasn’t familiar with the tale going into the series. And while historical fiction is not something I usually enjoy, I do love a good take on Shakespeare.
Synopsis
Winter is drawing thick in 1932 Shanghai, as is the ever-nearing threat of a Japanese invasion.
Rosalind Lang has suffered the worst possible fate for a national spy: she’s been exposed. With the media storm camped outside her apartment for the infamous Lady Fortune, she’s barely left her bedroom in weeks, plotting her next course of action after Orion was taken and his memories of Rosalind wiped. Though their marriage might have been a sham, his absence hurts her more than any physical wound. She won’t rest until she gets him back.
But with her identity in the open, the task is near impossible. The only way to leave the city and rescue Orion is under the guise of a national tour. It’s easy to convince her superiors that the countryside needs unity more than ever, and who better than an immortal girl to stir pride and strength into the people?
When the tour goes wrong, however, everything Rosalind once knew is thrown up in the air. Taking refuge outside Shanghai, old ghosts come into the open and adversaries turn to allies. To save Orion, they must find a cure to his mother’s traitorous invention and take this dangerous chemical weapon away from impending foreign invasion—but the clock is ticking, and if Rosalind fails, it’s not only Orion she loses, but her nation itself.
Book Details
- Published: September 26, 2023
- Page Count: 558 pages
- Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Thoughts on Foul Heart Huntsman
I had no idea how the end of this duology was going to go other than that Rosalind was going to figure out the Juliette was alive living in Zhouzhuang with Roma, and that Lourens had been retrieved by Benedikt and Marshall to help save Orion from the chemical conditioning that his mother did to him. And loosely what I learned of As You Like It when I looked up the original story. So, I was expecting a mass wedding at the end that would involve everyone. Spoiler, that doesn’t happen though the couples do all end up together in some capacity.
Foul Heart Huntsman is told (3rd person limited POV) from the perspectives of Rosalind, Orion, Celia, Alisa, Oliver, Silas, and Phoebe. Though there are occasional sections/chapters where the POV is not obvious at the time or gives context to other things happening around the city that doesn’t directly involve the main characters. More like a narrator rather than any of the characters.
This book takes place a few months after the events of Foul Lady Fortune. Orion has been completely brainwashed by his mother so he doesn’t remember who anyone is including himself. Rosalind cannot continue to be in the covert branch for the Nationalists as her identity has been exposed, which she uses to go on tour in order to tempt Orion’s mother to come after Rosalind so she can rescue Orion. And Celia and Oliver are trailing after her with the same intention of recovering Orion, though Celia ensures that Rosalind is successful rather than turning Orion over to the Communists.
I won’t go into the specific details, but most of the book is spent trying to free various of the Hong siblings as they are captured at different stages by different groups, finding a cure for the genetic experiments that Rosalind and Orion were put through, and trying to stop Japan’s invasion of China (Shanghai specifically). Oh and not to mention each of the pairs at some point during the story admit the truth and their feelings towards one another.
Overall, I seriously enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down. It was a great way to wrap up the Shanghai stories as Rosalind finally got closure/forgiveness with her cousin, Juliette. And everyone got their happy endings. I plan on reading more from Chloe Gong in the future as her books are always great. So, if you like historical fictions or tales inspired by works of Shakespeare, I would highly recommend this series along with the one that came before it.
Love ya,
Mae Polzine
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