There have doubtless been many retellings of Shakespeare’s classic love story Romeo and Juliet but few contain such a unique and compelling premise as Chloe Gong’s debut novel, These Violent Delights. The book opens in 1920s Shanghai, a glittering city overrun by Western colonisers but closely controlled by the Chinese Scarlet Gang and the Russian White Flowers, two rivals locked in a relentless blood feud. Enter Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov, heirs to the two clans and ex-lovers who share a bittersweet history of bloodshed and betrayal that neither can forget. Though it’s the last thing either wants, the two are forced to work with each other as their city is enveloped by a mysterious contagion that is causing its residents to go mad. Together they must unravel a web of hidden secrets to uncover who or what is behind it all.

A teeming metropolis of a city, Shanghai makes for a fascinating backdrop that is enriched by the ‘Roaring Twenties’ period setting – one of smoky burlesque bars and flapper girls. The glamour is matched by an undercurrent of danger, as mobsters stalk the streets, the opium market booms and Communists scheme to overthrow the Nationalist Chinese government. Gong also manages to create a modern take on this historical setting through queer representation and a brutal takedown of colonialism.

The first in a duology, These Violent Delights manages to transform Romeo and Juliet’s ageless tale into a historical fantasy novel that feels completely new. Between the scenes of gory action and brutal powerplay, there is a delicate romance that will leave your heart aching. Fans of The Diviners series by Libba Bray will undoubtedly eat this novel up. For ages 13+.

Xiao Xiao Kingham works as a bookseller at Readings Kids.