By Samantha Pak
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Foul Lady Fortune
By Chloe Gong
Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2022
The year is 1931 in Shanghai and it’s been four years since Rosalind Lang was brought back from the edge of death. But while the experiment that saved her life allows her to heal from any wound—even the life-threatening variety—her immortality has come with a price: She hasn’t aged or been able to sleep since.
With a new lease on life, Rosalind is set on righting the wrongs of her traitorous past and working for her country as an assassin under the codename Fortune. But when the Japanese Imperial Army begins its invasion march, Rosalind’s mission changes and she must pose as the wife of a fellow Nationalist spy, Orion Hong, and infiltrate the city’s foreign society to find the people behind a series of murders plaguing the city.
Inspired by Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” “Fortune” is a story filled with secrets, redemption, and intrigue. Almost every character has a secret—they are spies, after all (albeit young spies in their late teens and early 20s)—and with the story being told from various points of view, it’s fun to see the effort they put in just to keep their stories straight.
“Fortune” is part of Gong’s Secret Shanghai series and while the story is focused on Rosalind and Orion, we do get a glimpse of other characters from the previous stories and get to see what they’re up to. I really enjoyed seeing how characters have moved on after the events in the Violent Delights duology—especially as their way of life in the rivaling Scarlet and White Flower gangs has dissolved.
As a spy thriller, Gong does a great job with the twists and turns that will keep readers guessing and questioning who we should trust. There were things I guessed would happen and others that I didn’t see coming until I thought back to certain parts of the story—which is exactly what you want in a thriller.
Pride and Preston Lin
By Christina Hwang Dudley
Third State Books, 2024
Meet Lissie Cheng, middle sister of three orphaned sisters who were taken in by their aunt and uncle. Lissie and her older sister, Jenny, are pulling double duty working in the family restaurant while attending college. But when Lissie accidentally serves a customer a dish with shellfish paste who’s allergic, she’s forced to take a break from the restaurant as she’s now on the wealthy Lin family’s radar.
To make matters worse, the family’s golden boy, Preston—a star swimmer and PhD student at Stanford—seems to have it out for Lissie and her family. So it’s no surprise that Lissie detests him and everything he stands for. Unfortunately, fate and circumstances keep bringing them together and the more she gets to know Preston, the harder it is for Lissie to hang on to her dislike.
“Preston Lin” is a fun contemporary retelling of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.” And while readers familiar with the original story will know what to expect, it’s fun to see how Dudley hits certain beats and specific plot points in Lissie and Preston’s journey. I especially enjoyed seeing how the two characters grow and evolve over the course of the book. Lissie starts out as a bit aimless and just coasting, but we see her grow up as she is faced with big responsibilities, such as trying to fix issues at the restaurant and overseeing her younger sister’s swimming career. And Preston (intentionally) begins as a pretty unlikeable guy but as we learn more about his motivations and why he does what he does, he grows on you.
As someone who grew up with a sister who swam competitively, I also appreciated Dudley’s attention to detail to this world. You can tell she has a close knowledge of the sport and how it operates. In addition, Dudley, who lives in Bellevue, also includes some local Easter eggs, which will be fun for readers from the Pacific Northwest.
A Wish in the Dark
By Christina Soontornvat
Candlewick Press, 2020
After the Great Fire in Chattana, all the light in the city is now created by one man: the Governor. For Pong, who was born in Namwon Prison, these magical lights represent freedom and he wants nothing more than to walk among them. But after he escapes the prison, Pong quickly learns that the outside world is just as unfair as it is behind bars. And to make matters worse, his prison tattoo marks him as a fugitive, always on the run.
Meanwhile, Nok, daughter of the prison’s former warden, is set on tracking Pong down to restore her family’s good name. But the longer she hunts Pong, the more she uncovers things that will have her questioning everything she thought she knew about her supposed perfect city.
Set in a Thai-inspired fantasy world, “Wish” is a retelling of Victor Hugo’s “Les Misérables” for middle grade readers. The story explores law and justice, and privilege and protest. While the story is geared toward young readers, I appreciated how Soontornvat doesn’t sugarcoat the hardships of Pong’s life—both while growing up in a prison, as well as once he escapes. Some of the things he goes through might be dark, but kids of all ages experience dark things in real life and their stories deserve to be told.
Pong and Nok’s world may have magic, but they are dealing with real-world issues as well, which readers of all ages could relate to. And if they don’t, this story gives them a glimpse into how some people may be living, which could help build empathy and compassion—two things we need more of in this world.
This is also a story about questioning authority and the systems we have in place. Just because something is working for you, it doesn’t mean it’s working for everyone. And if it’s not, this book shows readers the importance of speaking up and standing for what we believe is right—a lesson readers of all ages could learn.