Theodore Boone: The Abduction

Mark of the Thief

Heart of a Samurai

Crispin: The Cross of Lead

Queen of the Sea

Orphan Eleven

The Jupiter Pirates: Hunt for the Hydra

The Last Gate of the Emperor

These Violent Delights

The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery.

A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal.

But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.

Perfect for fans of The Last Magician and Descendant of the Crane, this heart-stopping debut is an imaginative Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, with rival gangs and a monster in the depths of the Huangpu River.

Discover Your Child's Next Read

Theodore Boone: The Abduction

John Grisham, 2019

Mark of the Thief

Jennifer A. Nielsen, 2015

Heart of a Samurai

Margi Preus, 2010

Crispin: The Cross of Lead

Avi, 2002

Queen of the Sea

Dylan Meconis, 2019

Orphan Eleven

Gennifer Choldenko, 2020

The Jupiter Pirates: Hunt for the Hydra

Jason Fry, 2013

The Last Gate of the Emperor

Kwame Mbalia, Prince Joel Makonnen, 2021